当前位置： SCI文献检索 > BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth期刊下所有文献 > Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy in Africa: a review of the literature.

Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy in Africa: a review of the literature.

Abstract：

BACKGROUND:Pregnancy is an important phase in a woman's life, with health status at this stage affecting both the woman and her child's life. Global evidence suggests that many women engage in low levels of physical activity (PA) and exercise during pregnancy despite its beneficial effects. This is particularly the case in Africa. METHODS:This article reviews the literature on levels of PA and exercise among pregnant women in Africa, highlighting the level of PA or exercise participation during pregnancy in Africa, including types of PA, factors affecting PA, beliefs about and benefits of prenatal activity, advice or counselling on PA during pregnancy in Africa, and PA interventions proposed to promote the uptake of prenatal PA. Electronic search databases used were Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus, EMBASE, ERIC, Medline, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, PubMed, BIOMED Central, and African Journal Online. The basic search terms were: 'Physical activity', 'Exercise', 'Pregnancy', 'Pregnant women' and 'Africa'. A total of 40 references were found. On the basis of an analysis of titles, abstracts and the language of publication (other than English), 11 articles were rejected, and 29 articles were fully read, although two had to be rejected due to a lack of access to the full version. Finally, 27 references were included in the review. RESULTS:Few studies exist on PA during pregnancy in Africa. The limited data available suggests that, compared to the Western world, pregnant women in Africa do not adhere to the recommendations for PA during pregnancy. Levels of participation in PA during pregnancy are low and decline as the pregnancy progresses. The majority of the studies used direct, objective measures to assess PA during pregnancy. Personal and environmental factors such as lack of time, lack of knowledge, inadequate information from healthcare providers, feelings of tiredness and an absence of social support constituted the main barriers to PA during pregnancy. The types of PA participation among pregnant women varied across studies and geographical settings. CONCLUSIONS:While published data is limited, it seems clear that the participation of pregnant women in PA during pregnancy in Africa is low and declines with advancing pregnancy. There is a need for more studies to examine the dynamics of PA during pregnancy in Africa to guide contextual interventions to improve and promote maternal health on the continent.

journal_name

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

journal_title

BMC pregnancy and childbirth

authors

Okafor UB,Goon DT

doi

10.1186/s12884-020-03439-0

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2020-11-25 00:00:00

pages

732

issue

issn

1471-2393

pii

10.1186/s12884-020-03439-0

journal_volume

pub_type

杂志文章

在线工具

Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy in Africa: a review of the literature.