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

Angélique Brun, Stephanie-May Ruchat, Sophie Chaput-Langlois, Linda Booij, Raphaëlle Giac, Katherine Séguin, Andréanne Bernier, Anne-Sophie Morisset, Isabelle Boucoiran, Cathy Vaillancourt, Sarah Lippé and Catherine M. Herba ()
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Angélique Brun: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
Stephanie-May Ruchat: Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Trois-Rivières, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Trois-Rivieres, QC G9A 5H7, Canada
Sophie Chaput-Langlois: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
Linda Booij: CHU Sainte-Justine Azrieli Research Center, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada
Raphaëlle Giac: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
Katherine Séguin: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
Andréanne Bernier: Département des Sciences de la Santé, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 5E4, Canada
Anne-Sophie Morisset: École de Nutrition, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Isabelle Boucoiran: CHU Sainte-Justine Azrieli Research Center, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada
Cathy Vaillancourt: INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada
Sarah Lippé: CHU Sainte-Justine Azrieli Research Center, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada
Catherine M. Herba: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 10, 1-17

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.

Keywords: COVID-19; pregnancy; prenatal mental health; physical activity; walking; third trimester (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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