Associations Between Walking in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy and Maternal Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

TL;DR

Walking during the final months of pregnancy was linked to better mental health for mothers during the pandemic.

Contribution

This study identifies walking in the third trimester as a potential mental health support for pregnant individuals during the pandemic.

Findings

Higher walking levels were associated with lower generalized anxiety and perceived stress symptoms.

Pandemic wave timing, population density, household size, and education level influenced walking behavior.

Walking in late pregnancy may help improve maternal mental health outcomes.

Abstract

Prenatal physical activity (PA) has well-established benefits for maternal mental health. However, PA levels are generally low among pregnant individuals and were even lower during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since walking is the most popular form of prenatal PA, we aimed to examine associations between walking in the third trimester of pregnancy and mental health symptoms of depression, anxiety, pregnancy-related anxiety and perceived stress during the pandemic. Relevant pandemic-related factors (e.g., COVID-19 waves, population density) associated with walking were also studied. Pregnant individuals were recruited across Quebec (Canada) between October 2020 and September 2022, as part of the Resilience and Perinatal Stress during the Pandemic (RESPPA) study. Analyses were conducted on data collected via online questionnaires during the third trimester (n = 1086). Results revealed that higher levels of walking were significantly associated with lower symptoms of generalized anxiety (β = −0.06, p = 0.035), and perceived stress (β = −0.07, p = 0.007). Living in a more densely populated area, living with fewer children at home and having a university degree were associated with higher levels of walking. Those who completed their questionnaire in the second pandemic wave also reported higher levels of walking. Our results highlight the potential of walking in the third trimester to support maternal mental health.

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