Exercise During Pregnancy and Prenatal Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Prenatal depression is associated with an increased risk of physical, physiological, cardiovascular, and psychological diseases for mothers and future newborns. Prenatal depression and depressive symptoms could have negative effects on the cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral development of children.Objective: This study aimed to examine the influence of exercise during pregnancy on the prevalence of prenatal depression and depressive symptoms in the scientific literature.Data Sources: A search was carried out examining different online databases up to November 2020.Methods of Study Selection: A systematic review with random effects meta-analysis was performed. Only randomized controlled trials published in English or Spanish with pregnant populations and interventions with exercise programs carried out during pregnancy were included. The scores obtained by the tools that measured the emotional state and depressive symptoms as well as the number and percentage of depressed women of the study groups were analyzed.Tabulation, Integration, and Results: We analyzed 15 studies and found a negative association between moderate exercise during pregnancy and prenatal depression (ES = −0.36, 95% CI = −0.58, −13, I2 = 80.2%, Pheterogeneity = 0.001). In addition, the studies also showed that women who were inactive during pregnancy had a 16% higher probability of suffering prenatal depression [RR = 0.84 (95% IC = 0.74, 0.96) I2 = 61.9%, Pheterogeneity = 0.010].Conclusion: Supervised exercise during pregnancy may be useful for the prevention and reduction of prenatal depression and depressive symptoms.Systematic Review Registration: Registered in PROSPERO (Registration No. CRD42020164819).

Coping strategies for COVID-19 pandemic-related stress and mental health during pregnancy

“…Physical activity (outside or using online programs or videos), talking with friends and family, and family activities were associated with lower depression and anxiety symptom severity. Strong evidence from randomized controlled trials supports the benefits of physical activity for improving mental health during pregnancy ( Sánchez-Polán et al, 2021 ). Connecting with friends and family is a form of emotion-focused coping, which has previously been shown to partially reduce the negative impact of COVID-19-related stress on mental health during pregnancy ( Khoury et al, 2021 ).…”

Prenatal Anxiety and Exercise. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Due to the similarity of symptoms, it is possible to speculate that the reduction in prenatal depression symptoms observed after exercise interventions reported in recent systematic reviews [ 14 , 32 ] could be comparable and transferable to prenatal anxiety outcomes. This idea is demonstrated in other systematic reviews, showing better results in the intervention than in the control groups [ 33 , 34 ].…”

“…Due to the publication of recent studies that report the effectiveness of exercise to reduce or prevent depression among pregnant women (e.g., 16% less likely to suffer prenatal depression if the women were active during pregnancy [ 14 ]), this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarise the scientific literature to determine the possible effects of physical activity during pregnancy on perinatal anxiety.…”

Determinants of Changes in Women’s and Men’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior across the Transition to Parenthood: A Focus Group Study

“…Engaging in sufficient levels of physical activity (PA) and limiting sedentary behavior (SB) during and after pregnancy is essential to promote the health of both mother and child. Sufficient PA during pregnancy is related to a reduction in the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertensive disorders and depressive symptoms, and can help reduce excessive weight gain during pregnancy as well as prevent weight retention in the postpartum period [1][2][3][4]. It has also been associated with a reduction in cesarean section rates [5] and reduced odds of macrosomia, without an increase in preterm birth rates or low-birthweight offspring [6].…”

“…Addressing unfavorable changes in PA and SB across the transition to parenthood is of high importance, not only due to the associated short-term adverse health outcomes (e.g., increased risk for gestational diabetes, cesarean section, macrosomia) [1][2][3][4][5][6]. If desired PA levels are not restored in the postpartum period, the lack of PA may persist during the rest of the life span [25,26].…”