Physical activity and depressive symptoms among overweight and obese pregnant women in Terengganu

Suan, W.B. and Ain Widad, A. and Marhazlina, M. and Rosliza, Y. and Mohd Razif, S. and Lin, L.P (2021) Physical activity and depressive symptoms among overweight and obese pregnant women in Terengganu. In: 11th AOCO‐MASO 2021, 06-08 Apr 2021, Virtual Conference.

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Abstract

Introduction: Depression during pregnancy would affect not only the mother but also the child's development. The prevalence of depression during pregnancy in Malaysia has increased from 8.3% to 12.2% in 2018. It is presumed that exercise and physical activity prevent depression and decrease depressive symptoms by altering neurotransmitter and depression-related hormone levels. Objective: To evaluate the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms score among overweight and obese pregnant women in Terengganu. Methodology: A total of 26 pregnant women (n=14 overweight and n=12 obese) in their second and third trimester who registered in health clinics in Terengganu, aged ranging from 22 to 41 years completed this study. This cross-sectional study used self-administered questionnaires consisting of socio-demographic characteristics, Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaires (PPAQ-Malay) and Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS-Malay). The data were analysed by using IBM SPSS version 23. Results: Majority of the participants working in government sectors (61.5%, n=16), with monthly income range from RM1001-RM3000 (42.3%, n=11). More than half of the participants (61.5%, n= 16) were in their third trimester. Most of the participants participated in light-intensity activity (18.1±11.5 MET-hr/week) in the form of occupational type (42.2%,50.6±40.8 MET-hr/week) while 31.5% were in inactivity category (37.7±28.3 MET-hr/week). 15.4% (n=4) of them have an EPDS score of more than 10 which signifies depressive symptoms. There was a fair positive correlation between physical activity and depression symptoms score (r=0.469, p=0.016). Conclusion: Physical activity is related to depressive symptoms among overweight and obese pregnant women in Terengganu. Appropriate measures should be taken to increase awareness and reduce depressive symptoms risk during pregnancy.

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