UAE Women’s Knowledge and Attitudes towards Physical Activity during Pregnancy

Sharifa AlBlooshi, Rafiq Hijazi, Lynne Kennedy () and Ala Al Rajabi
Additional contact information
Sharifa AlBlooshi: Department of Health Sciences, College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Dubai P.O. Box 19282, United Arab Emirates
Rafiq Hijazi: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 144534, United Arab Emirates
Lynne Kennedy: Department of Health Sciences, College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 144534, United Arab Emirates
Ala Al Rajabi: Department of Health Sciences, College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 144534, United Arab Emirates

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: The benefits of being physically active during pregnancy are widely acknowledged. It is important for the prevention of chronic diseases and the promotion of good health for mothers and children. However, physical activity by women in the UAE is notoriously low and reduced further during pregnancy. The same can be said regarding research about the knowledge and understanding of the benefits and risks associated with exercise as a predictor of behavior. We aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes towards physical activity during pregnancy amongst Emirati women. A cross-sectional digital survey was designed to assess knowledge and attitudes and distributed to women, aged 18–40 years, using non-randomized, purposeful snowball sampling. A total of 1538 women were recruited. Most participants were aged 20–29 years (53.5%), were Emiratis (88.9%), and had no history of chronic disease (68.6%). The participants self-reported very low levels of PA (75.5%) and had a below-average level of knowledge overall (40.6 ± 20). Younger ages ( p < 0.001), lower educational levels ( p = 0.004), being employed ( p = 0.014), and having a history of chronic disease ( p = 0.016) were significantly associated with lower mean knowledge scores, while being married ( p = 0.003) was significantly associated with higher scores. The participants also exhibited a positive attitude towards physical activity during pregnancy by selecting answers that they supported it. To encourage physical activity, women living in the UAE could benefit from clear advice about safe physical activity during pregnancy.

Keywords: physical activity (PA); United Arab Emirates; women; knowledge; attitudes; mothers; pregnancy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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