Variations in health behaviors among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic

Kara M Whitaker; Peiyin Hung; Anthony J Alberg; Nicole L Hair; Jihong Liu

doi:10.1016/j.midw.2021.102929

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Variations in health behaviors among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Variations in health behaviors among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic

Kara M Whitaker, Peiyin Hung, Anthony J Alberg, Nicole L Hair and Jihong Liu

Midwifery, Vol.95, pp.102929-102929

04/2021

DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2021.102929

PMCID: PMC7825911

PMID: 33508485

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.102929View

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Abstract

To examine changes in lifestyle behaviors early in the COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant women. A cross-sectional internet-based survey was completed by 706 pregnant women (mean age 29.6 years ± 3.2) residing in the United States in May 2020 to assess self-reported changes in diet, physical activity, and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression analyses examined whether sociodemographic, clinical, and pandemic-related characteristics were associated with health behavior changes. Approximately 17% of women reported their diets worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, 42% reported improvements, and 41% reported no change. For physical activity, 22% reported they stopped being active, 2% reported they became active, and 76% reported no change. Nearly one-third of participants reported getting less sleep. The factors consistently associated with adverse lifestyle changes (worse diet, stopped being active, and reduced sleep) were experiences of pregnancy complications, loss of income due to COVID-19, and changes in social connections due to COVID-19. A substantial proportion of pregnant women reported adverse lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions during the pandemic to optimize health behaviors in pregnant women, especially among those with pregnancy complications, should address economic disadvantages and social support.

COVID-19

diet

physical activity

pregnancy

sleep

Details

Title: Subtitle: Variations in health behaviors among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic
Creators: Kara M Whitaker - University of Iowa
Peiyin Hung - University of South Carolina
Anthony J Alberg - University of South Carolina
Nicole L Hair - University of South Carolina
Jihong Liu - University of South Carolina
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Midwifery, Vol.95, pp.102929-102929
DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2021.102929
PMID: 33508485
PMCID: PMC7825911
NLM abbreviation: Midwifery
ISSN: 0266-6138
eISSN: 1532-3099
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100008899, name: University of South Carolina
Language: English
Date published: 04/2021
Academic Unit: Epidemiology; Health, Sport, and Human Physiology
Record Identifier: 9984245774202771

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