The Effect of Physical Activity with Different Intensity on Anxiety, Blood Pressure and Blood Glucose in Pregnant Women Aged 20-30

Ghazal  Radfar; Aliakbar  Alizadeh; Mohammad  Rami; Abdolhamid  Habibi

doi:10.18502/ijdo.v16i4.17289

Ghazal Radfar Master of Sports Physiology, Department of Sports Physiology, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
Aliakbar Alizadeh Assistant Professor, Department of Sports Physiology, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
Mohammad Rami Assistant Professor, Department of Sports Physiology, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
Abdolhamid Habibi Professor, Department of Sports Physiology, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijdo.v16i4.17289

Keywords: Physical activity, Anxiety, Blood pressure, Blood glucose, Pregnant women

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of physical activity at varying intensities on anxiety, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels in primiparous women aged 20-30 years.

Materials and Methods: The study population comprised 200 primiparous pregnant women. Data were collected using the Spielberger Anxiety Questionnaire and a physical activity questionnaire. Pearson's correlation test was employed to analyze the relationships between physical activity, blood pressure, blood glucose, and anxiety levels. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to evaluate the effects of different physical activity intensities on these variables, with statistical significance set at P< 0.05.

Results: The Pearson correlation test revealed a significant inverse relationship between physical activity and blood glucose (P= 0.011, r= -0.55) as well as between physical activity and blood pressure (P= 0.003, r= - 0.62) in primiparous women. Similarly, an inverse and significant relationship was observed between physical activity and anxiety levels (P= 0.021, r= -0.47 for state anxiety; P= 0.001, r= -0.78 for trait anxiety). The ANCOVA results demonstrated significant differences in blood pressure and blood glucose levels among pregnant women across three levels of physical activity intensity (P= 0.001 for both).

Conclusion: The findings suggest that increased physical activity is associated with reductions in blood glucose levels, blood pressure, and anxiety in pregnant women. These results highlight the potential benefits of regular physical activity for managing these health indicators during pregnancy.