Walton LM1,2, Raigangar V1, Alatrash A1, Bitar D1, Abdulkarim M1, Ebrahim M1, Emad N1, Alkhaled S1
1University of Sharjah, Physiotherapy, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 2Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States
Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) Sustainable Development Goal-5(SDG-5) data
sheet 2030 continues to focus on decreasing maternal morbidities and improving maternal health, globally. Although there is a low maternal mortality rate within the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UAE continues to report major challenges with high maternal morbidities related to gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, both related directly to lifestyle factors of physical activity and stress levels.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if physical activity levels (FITT) predicted maternal health morbidities, perceived stress levels (PSS), and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) for a sample of pregnant women living in the UAE.
Methods: This was a prediction correlation study, with purposive sampling of pregnant women 18-55 years of age residing in the UAE. The participants were recruited from multiple health centers in UAE after ethical approval was obtained from University of Sharjah REC. Voluntary informed consent was obtained by subjects prior to data collection. Subjects were given a health questionnaire, Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ), Short Form Survey (SF-12) and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS10) in either Arabic or English. Analysis was done utilizing a linear regression for prediction correlations between PA levels and perceived stress levels, Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and other maternal health outcomes and Kruskal Wallis to explore differences by age, parity and ethnicity.
Results: Mean age for the sample was 29.9 +/- 5.9 years. Over 50 percent (n=36/72) of the sample reported sedentary only activities, with mean MET-hour/week reported at 225.3 +/- 123.9. Fifty-eight 58% (42/72) of the sample reported pain and moderate to high stress. Thirty-seven percent (37.5%) of the sample reported one or more morbidities during pregnancy, with highest report in those who reported sedentary activities (37.1%) compared to those who exercised 5-7 times per week (11.1%). A weak significant correlation between total PPAQ score and total PSS score (r=0.287, df=71, p=0.014), between PPAQ score and two domains of SF12, bodily pain (r=0.324, df=71, p=0.05), role emotional (r=-0.287, df=71, p=0.005) were reported. PPAQ was a weak, but significant predictor of HRQOL- SF12 domain (BP)(r=0.298, df=71, p=0.011). There was a weak, but significant negative correlation between the total score of PSS and SF12 domain (Role Physical) (r=0.309, df=71, p=0.008) (Role Emotional) (r=0.423, df=71, p=0.001) (vitality) (r=0.272, df=71, p=0.021) (Social Functioning (r=0.383, df=71, p=0.001), and between the total score of PSS and SF12 domain (Bodily pain) (r=0.512, df=71, p=0.000).
Conclusion(s): Our study found a weak, but significant predictive correlation between Physical Activity (related to household chores) and stress levels. Further significant inverse correlation was found between PA and HRQOL in the pain and emotional health domain, with the majority of subjects reporting only sedentary activity levels, moderate to high stress scores, and lower than the standard reported norm for HRQOL. Sedentary PA was directly correlated with stress levels and inversely correlated with HRQOL for women living in the UAE.
Implications: Women living in the UAE may benefit from community driven physiotherapy educational and clinical programs to promote increased recreational physical activity, reduced household chore burden and reduce stress levels during pregnancy.
Keywords: Health Related Quality of Life, Morbidities and Stress, Prenatal
Funding acknowledgements: University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
sheet 2030 continues to focus on decreasing maternal morbidities and improving maternal health, globally. Although there is a low maternal mortality rate within the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UAE continues to report major challenges with high maternal morbidities related to gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, both related directly to lifestyle factors of physical activity and stress levels.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if physical activity levels (FITT) predicted maternal health morbidities, perceived stress levels (PSS), and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) for a sample of pregnant women living in the UAE.
Methods: This was a prediction correlation study, with purposive sampling of pregnant women 18-55 years of age residing in the UAE. The participants were recruited from multiple health centers in UAE after ethical approval was obtained from University of Sharjah REC. Voluntary informed consent was obtained by subjects prior to data collection. Subjects were given a health questionnaire, Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ), Short Form Survey (SF-12) and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS10) in either Arabic or English. Analysis was done utilizing a linear regression for prediction correlations between PA levels and perceived stress levels, Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and other maternal health outcomes and Kruskal Wallis to explore differences by age, parity and ethnicity.
Results: Mean age for the sample was 29.9 +/- 5.9 years. Over 50 percent (n=36/72) of the sample reported sedentary only activities, with mean MET-hour/week reported at 225.3 +/- 123.9. Fifty-eight 58% (42/72) of the sample reported pain and moderate to high stress. Thirty-seven percent (37.5%) of the sample reported one or more morbidities during pregnancy, with highest report in those who reported sedentary activities (37.1%) compared to those who exercised 5-7 times per week (11.1%). A weak significant correlation between total PPAQ score and total PSS score (r=0.287, df=71, p=0.014), between PPAQ score and two domains of SF12, bodily pain (r=0.324, df=71, p=0.05), role emotional (r=-0.287, df=71, p=0.005) were reported. PPAQ was a weak, but significant predictor of HRQOL- SF12 domain (BP)(r=0.298, df=71, p=0.011). There was a weak, but significant negative correlation between the total score of PSS and SF12 domain (Role Physical) (r=0.309, df=71, p=0.008) (Role Emotional) (r=0.423, df=71, p=0.001) (vitality) (r=0.272, df=71, p=0.021) (Social Functioning (r=0.383, df=71, p=0.001), and between the total score of PSS and SF12 domain (Bodily pain) (r=0.512, df=71, p=0.000).
Conclusion(s): Our study found a weak, but significant predictive correlation between Physical Activity (related to household chores) and stress levels. Further significant inverse correlation was found between PA and HRQOL in the pain and emotional health domain, with the majority of subjects reporting only sedentary activity levels, moderate to high stress scores, and lower than the standard reported norm for HRQOL. Sedentary PA was directly correlated with stress levels and inversely correlated with HRQOL for women living in the UAE.
Implications: Women living in the UAE may benefit from community driven physiotherapy educational and clinical programs to promote increased recreational physical activity, reduced household chore burden and reduce stress levels during pregnancy.
Keywords: Health Related Quality of Life, Morbidities and Stress, Prenatal
Funding acknowledgements: University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
Topic: Women's & men's pelvic health; Mental health; Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: University of Sharjah
Ethics committee: REC Committee for College of Health Sciences
Ethics number: REC-17-11-08-01-S
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
