Abstract
Background: It is not well understood how sedentary women who wish to engage in regular exercise adhere to interventions during pregnancy and what factors may influence adherence over time. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine longitudinal patterns of pregnant women's adherence to exercise. Methods: Exploratory secondary data analyses were carried out with 124 previously sedentary pregnant women (ages 31 ± 5 years; 85% non-Hispanic White) from a randomized controlled trial. Daily exercise logs (n = 92) from 18 through 35 weeks of gestation were explored using linear regression, functional data, and principal component analyses. Results: Adherence decreased as gestation week increased (p < .001). The top adherers maintained levels of adherence, and the bottom adherers decreased levels of adherence. And adherence pattern was influenced by types of exercise throughout the study period. Discussion: Exercise behavior patterns were explored in a randomized controlled trial study, using chronometric data on exercise attendance. A new analytic approach revealed that sedentary pregnant women may adopt exercise habits differently from other populations.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 280-287 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Nursing research |
Volume | 59 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 2010 |
Keywords
- exercise
- methods
- statistical data interpretation