2021 Volume 8 Pages 151-161
Aim: To clarify changes in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) among pregnant women according to employment status. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on healthy primiparous women. PA and SB were measured by an accelerometer for about one week during weeks 24‒27 (T1) and 32-35 (T2) of gestation. The participants were classified into three employment status groups during both trials; “Full-time housewives, ” “currently working, ” and “stopped working. ” Results: Thirty-four women (mean age 33.6±4.8 years; pre-pregnancy BMI 21.6±2.9 kg/m2) provided two points of activity data. Changes in the cumulative SB time were significantly different among the three groups (F=3.34, p=0.049): the cumulative SB among the stopped-working group tended to increase compared with the currently working group (F=4.16, p=0.056). In the stopped-working group, the frequency of medium SB duration significantly decreased from T1 to T2 (11.9 to 10.2 times/day, t=3.18, p=0.008), while the frequency of long SB duration significantly increased (4.2 to 4.7 times/day, t=-2.85, p=0.015). Conclusion: Changes in SB during pregnancy differed depending on employment status and stopping work was a risk factor for increased SB.
