Effects of non-supervised aerobic exercise on sleep quality and maternal-fetal attachment in pregnant women: A randomized controlled trial. (March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shen, Wen-Chun; Chen, Chung-Hey
• Is Part Of: Complementary therapies in medicine. Volume 57(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Subjects: Aerobic exercise -- Prenatal care -- Sleep quality -- Maternal-fetal attachment; Alternative medicine -- Periodicals; Complementary Therapies -- Periodicals; Médecines parallèles -- Périodiques; Thérapeutique -- Périodiques; Alternative medicine; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 615.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102671
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0965-2299

Abstract

Highlights: Pregnant women performing aerobic exercises for 4 weeks can benefit sleep quality and maternal-fetal attachment; the positive effects on sleep quality extend to 12 weeks practice. Subjective comments of pregnant women on the effects of the aerobic exercise indicate body and mental relaxation. Clinical healthcare professionals can incorporate low-impact aerobic exercise into prenatal health promotion scheme. Abstract: Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the effect in pregnant women of a non-supervised aerobic exercise intervention on sleep quality and maternal-fetal attachment. Design: Pretest-posttest randomized controlled trial. Setting: Prenatal clinic of a medical center in southern Taiwan. Participants: One hundred and forty eligible, pregnant women were assigned systematically, at a random starting point, to either the experimental group ( n = 70) or the control group ( n = 70). Intervention: Participants in the experimental group received a 20-minute, low-impact aerobic exercise video on DVD and were instructed to exercise at home at least three times per week for a period of three months. Participants in the control group received routine prenatal care only. Main outcome measures: The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Modified Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale were used to assess outcome measures before the intervention and at four and 12-weeks post-intervention. Results: The paired-sample t -tests revealed a significant improvement in sleep quality in the experimental group at 4-weeks posttest, which persisted through 12-weeks posttest. In addition, the experimental group reported a significantly higher mean score for maternal-fetal attachment at 4-weeks posttest than the control group. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that performing aerobic exercise ameliorates the decline in sleep quality and improves maternal-fetal attachment in women who are pregnant. These findings may be used to encourage pregnant women to regularly perform low-impact aerobic exercise.