PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN EMIRATI PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN: ASSOCIATIONS WITH DIET, SLEEP, QUALITY OF LIFE AND SELF-EFFICACY - A MIXED METHODS STUDY

A. Javed¹, V. Raigangar², A. Clarke-Cornwell³, S. Curtin³, M. Granat³

¹University of Sharjah, Physiotherapy, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, ²University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom, ³University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom

Background: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reported increasing rates of obesity over the previous two decades. Female obesity in the country stands at 39% as opposed to male obesity at 27%; with women being more at risk due to weight retention following multiple pregnancies, excessive nutritional intake, decreased physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle. With most women in childbearing age, physical inactivity and obesity can have long term health related consequences and create a massive burden on the healthcare system. Insight into their physical activity and associations with various factors could shed light on how clinicians can design interventions and provide a more comprehensive public health care plan to promote the health of Emirati women, who are native to the region and culturally distinct.

Purpose: Therefore, the aim of this project was to explore associations of physical behaviour with sleep, diet, exercise self-efficacy, and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in Emirati women during pregnancy and postpartum.

Methods: A triangulation convergence mixed-methods study was conducted to collect data from 100 Emirati pregnant (first trimester to last trimester) and postpartum women (from 6 weeks postpartum until one year after birth) for quantitative data and 15 women for qualitative data. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Salford, United Kingdom and the University Hospital, Sharjah where data was collected. After providing informed consent, women filled the questionnaires online (sociodemographic data, International Physical activity questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), exercise self-efficacy survey (ESE), dietary intake, and health related quality of life (RAND Short form-36). Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were carried out to provide greater depth from a cultural and personal perspective and explore the impact of COVID on different factors. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS and qualitative data using NVIVO with results reported as themes and sub-themes via thematic analysis.

Results: It was seen that during pregnancy and postpartum overall physical activity was low, sitting time was high with over 10 hours during the first trimester , sleep scores were poor in all dimensions during pregnancy but improved by six months postpartum, self-efficacy to physical activity was found to be moderate and HRQoL was poor in all domains of the RAND-36. Additionally, self-reported steps were found to be 7500 or less which can be classified as somewhat active. Certain overarching themes emerged such as social isolation due to fear, companionship for exercise, poor eating and sleeping habits as well as emotional disturbances.

Conclusions: In conclusion it can be seen that low levels of physical activity, increased sitting time were exhibited in all participants possibly attributed to confinement measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, most participants exhibited poor sleep quality and health related quality of life indicating the significance of health promotion, both physical and psychological to positively impact holistic wellness.

Implications: Recommendations can be made to policy makers to help inform clinical practice. This project may provide a model and framework to inform quality of care and may provide an impetus for the further design of a randomised controlled trial in this population.

Funding acknowledgements: This work was not funded by any source.

Keywords:
Physical activity
Postpartum
Interviews

Topics:
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
COVID-19
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) & risk factors

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: University Hospital Sharjah and University of Salford

Committee: Hospital Ethics and Research Committee University Hospital Sharjah

Ethics number: UHS-HERC- 020-05112019 ,HSR1920-037