Physical Activity and Depressive Disorders in Pregnant Women—A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Pregnancy is a unique period in the life of every woman. The lifestyle of a pregnant woman has a significant impact on her and her child’s health. Regular physical activity is one of the elements that help maintain normal mental and physical well-being. In pregnant women who regularly have moderate physical activity, there is a lower risk of developing obesity and overweight. Physical exercises have an impact on maintaining proper muscular tonus, reduce pain and prepare for the exertion during labour. Based on the available literature, the aim of this study was to present the impact of physical activity on depressive disorders in pregnant women. Materials and Methods: A review of the literature was carried out in the Medline PubMed database. The basic search terms were: “pregnancy” AND “physical activity AND depression”. The work included only English-language publications published in the years 2000–2018. Results: A total of 408 references were found. On the basis of an analysis of titles, abstracts and the language of publication (other than English), 354 articles were rejected, and 54 articles were fully read, of which five were rejected due to lack of access to the full version. Finally, 17 references were included in the review. Conclusions: Physical activity, at least once a week, significantly reduces the symptoms of depression in pregnant women and may be an important factor in the prevention of depression in this period.

Association of prenatal psychological distress and postpartum depression with varying physical activity intensity: Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)

“…Most commonly, those women who engaged in only light physical activity during pregnancy were significantly less likely to have psychological distress during pregnancy, whereas those women who engaged in a combination of all light, moderate and vigorous physical activity during pregnancy were more likely to have psychological distress during pregnancy and depression after childbirth. Most studies have concluded that regular physical exercise during pregnancy has a beneficial impact on psychological health 40 , but our results are somewhat similar to those of other studies using general population data 41,42 . The present study is one of the few studies to show that different combinations of varying intensities of physical activity had different patterns of associations with psychological outcomes among pregnant women.…”

Validity and Reliability of the Korean Version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire

“…However, exercising during pregnancy helps maintain a stable psychological state. Exercise not only alleviates the stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms that occur during pregnancy [2], but also reduces the duration and pain of labor and facilitates postpartum recovery [7]. A meta-analysis of the impact of physical activity on pregnant women reported that moderate-intensity activities lower excessive pregnancy weight gain, pregnancy diabetes, and postpartum depression [11].…”

“…The benefits of physical activity during pregnancy include improved physical fitness and reduced risks of excessive weight gain, pre-eclampsia, and pre-term birth. During pregnancy, women experience involuntary physical and mental changes, and the maternal physiological system is transformed to embrace fetal growth and development [1,2]. According to a recent statistical report, the neonatal mortality rate in Korea is below the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average at 2.8 per 100 births; the stillbirth rate, however, is higher than the OECD average, at 7.8 per 100 births [3].…”

“…Recently, however, moderate exercise has been suggested to help pregnant women adjust to the various physical, psychological, and social changes that occur from conception to delivery [6]. Exercising during pregnancy helps maintain a stable psychological state, and not only alleviates the stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms that occur during pregnancy [2], but also reduces the duration and pain of labor and facilitates postpartum recovery [7].…”

Physical Activity and the Occurrence of Postnatal Depression—A Systematic Review

“…Regular physical activities also eliminate the risk of developing depression during pregnancy and are a safe form of preventative treatment. Women who were also active before or during pregnancy had a lower risk of developing depressive disorders compared to physically inactive women (for a review see Kołomańska et al [66]). According to the ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) recommendation, physical activity should be resumed after childbirth as soon as possible and whenever it is safe [39].…”