Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Holly C. Nevarez, MPH, PhD, CHES, Health and Community Services, California State University, Chico, Butte Hall 607, Chico, CA 95929, 530-898-5013, hnevarez@csuchico.edu

Past studies have explored sociodemographic characteristics and behavioral factors correlated with exercise during pregnancy. However, many of the findings contradict each other. Only the sociodemographic characteristics of educational attainment, BMI, and parity have consistent findings between studies. Among behavioral factors, only self-efficacy and habit have had uniform findings among studies. Other sociodemographic characteristics and behavioral factors which have been explored as they relate to exercise during pregnancy yield conflicting results. Many past studies also lack racial diversity in their populations. Little is known about the sociodemographic characteristics and behavioral factors that influence exercise during pregnancy in Hispanic women or low-income women. It is important to identify this information so that appropriate programs can be developed. These well focused interventions would decrease the overweight and obesity epidemic for which exercise plays such a key role. This study was designed to identify characteristics and factors associated with exercise behaviors among pregnant, low-income, White and Hispanic women. This study also examined and compared women's exercise behavior before and during pregnancy. Findings from this investigation will be reported.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, the participant will be able to (
• describe sociodemographic characteristics and behavioral factors associated with exercise during pregnancy among low-income White and Hispanic women (
• discuss changes made in exercise patterns from prepregnancy to during pregnancy and differences in these patterns based upon race (
• identify the prevalence of exercise during pregnancy in this population of White and Hispanic low-income pregnant women.

Keywords: Exercise, Pregnancy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered