Predicting Physical Activity in Chinese Pregnant Women Using Multi-Theory Model: A Cross-Sectional Study

Wei Zhang, Ying Jin, Ningning Liu, Zhenzhen Xiang, Xiaojuan Wang, Ping Xu, Pingping Guo, Minna Mao and Suwen Feng ()
Additional contact information
Wei Zhang: Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
Ying Jin: Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
Ningning Liu: Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
Zhenzhen Xiang: Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
Xiaojuan Wang: Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
Ping Xu: Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
Pingping Guo: Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
Minna Mao: Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
Suwen Feng: Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Physical activity (PA) brings many benefits to pregnant women and fetuses; however, the majority of pregnant women do not participate actively in PA during pregnancy. Objectives: This study aimed to: (1) assess the utility of Multi-Theory Model (MTM) to explain the intentions of PA behavior in Chinese pregnant women; (2) analyze the predictors in initiating and maintaining PA behavior based on MTM. Methods: A cross-sectional study including pregnant women was conducted from March to June 2022 at a university hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Participants completed measures that included a self-developed demographic questionnaire and a 29-item MTM questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression were used to analyze the data. The reliability was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest stability. The construct validity was evaluated by using exploratory factor (EFA) analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: A total of 450 pregnant women participated in this study. The score of the magnitude of intention to initiate and maintain PA behavior during pregnancy was 2.30 (1.08) and 2.24 (1.09). The overall Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.857. A four-factor structure for initiation model and a three-factor structure for maintenance model were determined. Results of the CFA confirmed construct validity of subscales (initiation model: χ 2 = 206.123, df = 140, p < 0.001, χ 2 /df = 1.472, RMSEA = 0.046, SRMR = 0.0432, GFI = 0.913, CFI = 0.982; maintenance model: χ 2 = 49.742, df = 29, p < 0.001, χ 2 /df = 1.715, RMSEA = 0.057, SRMR = 0.0432, GFI = 0.958, CFI 0.985). The result of regression indicated that participatory dialogue (β = 0.030; p = 0.002), behavioral confidence (β = 0.128; p < 0.001), changes in physical environment (β = 0.041; p = 0.005), trimester (β = −0.192; p = 0.001), and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) (β = 0.408; p < 0.001) explained 52.1% variance in initiating PA behavior. Emotional transformation (β = 0.197; p < 0.001), practice for change (β = 0.083; p = 0.001), changes in social environment (β = 0.063; p < 0.001), pre-pregnancy exercise habit (β = −0.251; p = 0.001), and GDM (β = 0.298; p = 0.003) were significantly associated with pregnant women’s intentions to maintain PA behavior and explained 49.1% variance. Conclusions: The constructs of MTM were effective in explaining the intention to initiate and maintain PA behavior among Chinese pregnant women.

Keywords: physical activity; pregnant women; multi-theory model; exercise (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/20/13383/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/20/13383/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:20:p:13383-:d:944383

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().