TY - JOUR
T1 - Levels of physical activity and sitting time in women with infants, toddlers and preschoolers
T2 - a population-based cross-sectional study
AU - Makama, M.
AU - Brown, W. J.
AU - Lim, S.
AU - Skouteris, H.
AU - Harrison, C. L.
AU - Joham, A. E.
AU - Mishra, G. D.
AU - Teede, H.
AU - Moran, L. J.
N1 - Funding Information:
The research on which this article is based was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health by the University of Queensland and the University of Newcastle. The authors are grateful to the Australian Government Department of Health for funding and to the women who provided the survey data. This specific study received no external funding. M.M. is funded by the Monash International Tuition Scholarship and Monash Graduate Scholarship ; S.L. is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Fellowship; L.J.M. is funded by a National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship . C.L.H. is funded by a Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship from the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence for Health in Preconception and Pregnancy (CRE-HiPP; APP1171142 ). A.E.J. is funded by a Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship from the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence for Women's Health in Reproductive Life (CRE-WHiRL; APP1171592 ). H.T. is funded by an NHMRC Fellowship. The authors acknowledge Dr. Julie C. Martin (PhD) for her contribution to the research design.
Funding Information:
It must be recognised that the period after childbirth is a time of new responsibilities and competing demands for time that pose barriers to engaging in adequate levels of PA.13 Therefore, interventions targeting the improvement of PA levels in women with young children need to provide adequate support to overcome these barriers. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of social support, self-efficacy, enjoyment, intentions and outcome expectancies in influencing activity levels of mothers.13,41,42 In particular, the perception of mothers' roles and social norms associated with negotiating childcare and household chores with their partners influences their PA levels.43 Interventions to increase activity levels in women with young children should consider a family-based approach to facilitate increase in self-efficacy and social support from partners.13The research on which this article is based was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health by the University of Queensland and the University of Newcastle. The authors are grateful to the Australian Government Department of Health for funding and to the women who provided the survey data. This specific study received no external funding. M.M. is funded by the Monash International Tuition Scholarship and Monash Graduate Scholarship; S.L. is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Fellowship; L.J.M. is funded by a National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship. C.L.H. is funded by a Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship from the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence for Health in Preconception and Pregnancy (CRE-HiPP; APP1171142). A.E.J. is funded by a Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship from the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence for Women's Health in Reproductive Life (CRE-WHiRL; APP1171592). H.T. is funded by an NHMRC Fellowship. The authors acknowledge Dr. Julie C. Martin (PhD) for her contribution to the research design.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Royal Society for Public Health
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Objectives: Insufficient physical activity (PA) and prolonged sitting time (ST) increase the risk of chronic disease and mortality. Caring for young children can potentially impact maternal PA and sedentary behaviours. The aims of this study were to explore the levels of PA and ST in women with young children (infants, toddlers and preschoolers) and sociodemographic and behavioural factors associated with these. Study design: This was a population-based cross-sectional study. Methods: Survey 5 data collected in 2009 (n = 4290) of the 1973–1978 birth cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were used. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to examine associations. Results: In adjusted models, compared with women with preschoolers, women whose youngest child was an infant aged 0–6 months, aged >6–12 months or toddler had lower PA (−321.3 MET.min/week [95% confidence interval (CI) −416.2, −226.4], −147.9 MET.min/week [95% CI −237.6, −58.1] and −106.4 MET.min/week [95% CI −172.3, −40.5]). ST was higher in women whose youngest child was an infant aged 0–6 months (0.48 h/day; 95% CI 0.19, 0.77) but lower with infants aged >6–12 months (−0.33 h/day; 95% CI −0.60, −0.05) and toddlers (−0.40 h/day; 95% CI −0.60, −0.20) than in those with preschoolers. The findings were similar in the logistic model. Sociodemographic and behavioural factors such as occupation and marital status also influenced PA and ST. Conclusions: Women with infants and toddlers have lower PA than women with preschoolers. Women are more likely to sit more in the first 6 months after childbirth. These findings can inform resources and intervention development to improve activity levels in women with young children through consideration of the age of the youngest child, sociodemographic and behavioural factors.
AB - Objectives: Insufficient physical activity (PA) and prolonged sitting time (ST) increase the risk of chronic disease and mortality. Caring for young children can potentially impact maternal PA and sedentary behaviours. The aims of this study were to explore the levels of PA and ST in women with young children (infants, toddlers and preschoolers) and sociodemographic and behavioural factors associated with these. Study design: This was a population-based cross-sectional study. Methods: Survey 5 data collected in 2009 (n = 4290) of the 1973–1978 birth cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were used. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to examine associations. Results: In adjusted models, compared with women with preschoolers, women whose youngest child was an infant aged 0–6 months, aged >6–12 months or toddler had lower PA (−321.3 MET.min/week [95% confidence interval (CI) −416.2, −226.4], −147.9 MET.min/week [95% CI −237.6, −58.1] and −106.4 MET.min/week [95% CI −172.3, −40.5]). ST was higher in women whose youngest child was an infant aged 0–6 months (0.48 h/day; 95% CI 0.19, 0.77) but lower with infants aged >6–12 months (−0.33 h/day; 95% CI −0.60, −0.05) and toddlers (−0.40 h/day; 95% CI −0.60, −0.20) than in those with preschoolers. The findings were similar in the logistic model. Sociodemographic and behavioural factors such as occupation and marital status also influenced PA and ST. Conclusions: Women with infants and toddlers have lower PA than women with preschoolers. Women are more likely to sit more in the first 6 months after childbirth. These findings can inform resources and intervention development to improve activity levels in women with young children through consideration of the age of the youngest child, sociodemographic and behavioural factors.
KW - Age of the youngest child
KW - Physical activity
KW - Sitting time
KW - Women with young children
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85142131745&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.10.016
DO - 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.10.016
M3 - Article
C2 - 36417813
AN - SCOPUS:85142131745
SN - 0033-3506
VL - 214
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Public Health
JF - Public Health
ER -
