Background: Pregnancy-related changes in walking speed, gait dynamics, and total physical activity have been reported in past research, but free-living step cadences and their rates of change across pregnancy have not been studied.
Research Question: The purpose of this study was to describe free-living stepping cadence in pregnant women and examine differences between second and third trimester women. We hypothesized that physical activity walking cadences would be lower later in pregnancy.
Methods: Fifty pregnant women were recruited for this study and n = 45 was the analytic sample size; 46.7% were in their second trimester (13-25 weeks) while 53.3% were third trimester (≥26 weeks). Participants completed a survey of demographic characteristics and wore an accelerometer on their non-dominant wrist for 7-8 days. These accelerometer data were downloaded in 60-sec epochs, allowing for determination of min-by-min walking cadence, defined as steps/min. Mean steps/day, mean cadence, peak cadence (average cadence over the 30 min of highest cadence in each day), mean time spent in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA, time spent with cadence ≥100 steps/min), and mean daily time spent in several cadence ranges were calculated for each participant. Between-trimester differences were determined using independent-samples t-tests.
Results: Average daily steps were 11,060.1 ± 2,955.3; 66.7% of second trimester and 54.2% of third trimester women met daily step recommendations of 10,000 steps/day, but 0.0% of the sample accumulated the recommended 150 min/wk of MVPA. There were no differences by trimester for cadence at any step rates (p > 0.05).
Significance: Overall, pregnant women accumulated high numbers of steps per day but at low cadences; neither daily steps nor cadence varied from second to third trimester. These data suggest that steps and MVPA recommendations are not equivalent and therefore should not be used interchangeably, especially during pregnancy.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2018.06.175 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Transient Osteoporosis of the Hip: A Case Report.
Cureus
December 2024
Rheumatology, Canadian Specialist Hospital, Dubai, ARE.
Transient osteoporosis of the hip (TOH), also known as bone marrow edema (BME), is an uncommon condition of unknown etiology. While transient osteoporosis usually affects the hip, it could affect other joints as well. The most common presentation is pain and it has been linked to reduced bone mineral density.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSecond-trimester uterine rupture in bicornuate uterus: A case report.
Case Rep Womens Health
March 2025
Dilla University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dilla, Ethiopia.
Uterine rupture is a rare but serious complication that predominantly occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy. It is exceptionally uncommon in the second trimester, particularly in the presence of uterine anomalies such as a bicornuate uterus or uterus didelphys. This case report presents a significant instance of second-trimester uterine rupture associated with a bicornuate uterus, resulting in a life-threatening intra-abdominal hemorrhage of approximately 4000 mL.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRare association of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) with hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome - A case report and review of the literature.
Heliyon
December 2024
Neurology Clinic, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.
Introduction: The hemolysis-elevated liver enzymes-low platelet counts (HELLP) syndrome and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) are rare conditions that can complicate pregnancy and the early postpartum period. Although both are closely related to hypertensive pregnancy disorders, their association is rarely described, so the outcome of these patients remains unknown. We present a case report of PRES associated with HELLP syndrome and a review of all previously published cases, including demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntepartum insomnia symptoms and its association with postpartum depression symptoms in women with and without psychiatric vulnerability: A prospective cohort study.
J Affect Disord
January 2025
Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, OLVG, P.O. Box 95500, 1090 HM Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health Programme, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Background: Postpartum depression is common and may be linked to antepartum insomnia, a potentially modifiable risk factor. We examine the association between insomnia- and postpartum depression symptoms, considering whether psychiatric vulnerability moderates this link.
Method: Participants completed the Insomnia Severity Index during trimester two and three and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression questionnaire postpartum.
Effectiveness of prenatal ultrasound in fetal sex identification: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
J Ultrasound
January 2025
Department of Medical Imaging, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the accuracy and success rate of ultrasound in determining fetal sex. A search was conducted on Medline, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases, and the reference lists of selected studies were also reviewed. Meta-analyses were performed using Revman 5.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!