Objectively Measured Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity Across 3 Trimesters of Pregnancy: The Monitoring Movement and Health Study

Background: Though moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity is recommended, limited research exists on sedentary behavior (SED) during pregnancy. Methods: The authors conducted a prospective cohort study to describe objectively measured patterns of SED and activity during each trimester of pregnancy. Women wore thigh- (activPAL3) and waist-mounted (ActiGraph GT3X) activity monitors. SED and activity were compared across trimesters using likelihood ratio tests and described using group-based trajectories. Exploratory analyses associated SED and activity trajectories with adverse pregnancy outcomes and excessive gestational weight gain. Results: Pregnant women (n = 105; mean [SD] age = 31 [5] y; prepregnancy body mass index = 26.2 [6.6] kg/m(2)) had mean SED of 9.7, 9.5, and 9.5 hours per day (P =.062) across trimesters, respectively. Some activities differed across trimesters: standing (increased, P =.01), stepping (highest in second trimester, P =.04), steps per day (highest in second trimester, P =.008), and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (decreased, P <.001). Prolonged SED (bouts = 30 min) and bouted moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (=10 min) were stable (P >.05). In exploratory analyses, higher SED and lower standing, stepping, and steps per day trajectories were associated with increased odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes (P <.05). No trajectories were associated with excessive gestational weight gain. Conclusions: Pregnant women exhibited stable SED of nearly 10 hours per day across pregnancy. Future research evaluating SED across pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcome risk is warranted.