Demographic And Health-related Correlates Of Latent Class Activity Profiles In Pregnancy

PURPOSE: Participating in physical activity during pregnancy is recommended for maternal-child well-being. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify demographic and health related correlates of more active behavior patterns in early pregnancy for public health programming. METHODS: The present study is a secondary analysis of the ongoing Pregnancy 24/7 cohort study. Demographics (age, race, income, and number of children <5 y in the home) and pregnancy-health related factors (pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, history of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO), and pregnancy loss) were collected via questionnaire. Participants wore a thigh-mounted activPAL accelerometer for 7 full days to measure light physical activity (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and SED. Latent class analysis categorized participants into groups reflective of their LPA, MVPA, and SED patterns in the first trimester of pregnancy. Odds of class membership by demographic or pregnancy-health factors were calculated using simple multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Latent class analysis included n = 243 participants (mean age:31.2 + 3.9 years) and identified three distinct groups: inactive, light active, and active (see Figure). Income <50 k/year (OR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.67) and higher pre-pregnancy BMI (OR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.90, 0.99 per 1 kg/m2) were associated with lower odds of active versus inactive class membership. Greater parity (OR:1.57; 95% CI: 1.08, 2.30 per pregnancy) and number of children <5 (OR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.38, 3.73 per child) were associated with higher odds of light active versus inactive class membership. Age, race, and APO or pregnancy loss history were not associated with class membership. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI, lower income, and fewer pregnancies or children <5 may be at a greater risk for inactivity in early pregnancy. These findings may identify individuals with greater need for lifestyle intervention.