Exercise During Pregnancy and Type of Delivery in Nulliparae

Authors

Timothy J. Bungum, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Dian L. Peaslee, CorVel Corporation
Allen W. Jackson, University of North Texas
Miguel A. Perez, California State University - Fresno

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2000

Publication Title

Journal of Obstetric and Gynecological Neonatal Nursing

Volume

29

Issue

3

First page number:

258

Last page number:

264

Abstract

Objective: To assess the association between participation in aerobic exercise during the first two trimesters of pregnancy and type of delivery in nulliparous women.

Design: Nonexperimental, retrospective.

Setting: A large metropolitan area in the Participants: 137 nulliparous women.

Outcome Measures: Method of delivery.

Results: An unadjusted odds ratio showed that sedentary women (n=93) were 2.05 times more likely to deliver via cesarean section than active women (n= 44), but this relationship was not statistically significant. Through logistic regression analysis with control for the mother's prepregnancy exercise program, age, use of epidural anesthesia, change in prepregnancy to delivery body mass index, labor length, whether labor was induced, and the hospital of birth, the odds of cesarean delivery were found to be 4.5 times greater for sedentary women than for active women.

Conclusion: Regular participation in physical activity during the first two trimesters of pregnancy may be associated with reduced risk for cesarean delivery in nulliparous women.

Keywords

Aerobic exercises; Age distribution (Demography); Body mass index; Cesarean section; Cesarean section—Prevention; Exercise; Exercise for pregnant women; First pregnancy; Labor (Obstetrics); Labor; Induced (Obstetrics); Logistic regression analysis; Nulliparae; Pregnancy; Pregnancy--Trimester; First; Pregnancy--Trimester; Second; Sedentary women; Women

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Kinesiology | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nursing Midwifery | Obstetrics and Gynecology | Reproductive and Urinary Physiology

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the item. Publisher policy does not allow archiving the final published version. If a post-print (author's peer-reviewed manuscript) is allowed and available, or publisher policy changes, the item will be deposited.

Repository Citation

Bungum, T. J., Peaslee, D. L., Jackson, A. W., Perez, M. A. (2000). Exercise During Pregnancy and Type of Delivery in Nulliparae. Journal of Obstetric and Gynecological Neonatal Nursing, 29(3), 258-264.