Routine physical activity and healthy pregnant women's self reports of psychological distress: a literature review

Psychological distress is identified as a common experience during pregnancy, and a risk factor for negative maternal and fetal health outcomes. Physical activity contributes to physical and emotional health in non-pregnant subjects. The same may be true for pregnant women. The purpose of this project is to conduct a critical examination of the literature and provide recommendations to guide nurse practitioners in working with prenatal clients. The following question was designed to guide this process: In healthy pregnant women, does physical activity at least three times weekly, as compared to remaining sedentary, decrease self reports of psychological distress? For the purpose of this project, psychological distress is defined women's self reported feelings of anxiety, depressed mood, or concerns with body image. The studies included in the literature review were obtained from a series of online database searches. Research studies, literature reviews, or clinical practice guidelines published after 1999 and written in English were included. The final yield was nine studies and three clinical practice guidelines. The evidence suggests participation in physical activity decrease over the course of pregnancy, and that women who routinely participate in physical activity during pregnancy tend to feel more positive about body image and report less feelings of anxiety and depressed mood compared to women who do not regularly engage in physical activity. Due to the limited number of studies found on this topic and the design and methodology limitations of these studies, further research is warranted. --P.ii.