Physical Activity during Pregnancy: Comparisons between Objective Measures and Self-Reports in Relation to Blood Glucose Levels

Objective: to quantify pregnant women’s physical activity during pregnancy using wear-able accelerometers and a self-reported scale and to examine the variation in these two physical activity measures in relation to fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels and presence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: this prospective observational study included 197 pregnant women from one of the largest regional hospitals in South China. Women with singleton pregnancy, absence of pre-existing comorbidities and pre-specified contraindications, wore an accelerometer on their waist for 7 consecutive days to objectively record their physical activity, followed by completing a past-7-day physical activity questionnaire, three times, respectively, in three trimesters. GDM was determined by 2-h 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 24–28th week’s gestation and FPG was obtained in both 1st and 2nd trimesters following standard practice. Results: pregnant women engaged highest levels of various physical activity types in 2nd trimester, except accelerometer-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity which gradually decreased in pregnancy. Pregnant women were more likely to walk in 3rd trimester. The relationship between objective total physical activity and self-reported total physical activity was non-linear. Increased trend of FPG from 1st trimester to 2nd trimester disappeared when adjusting for accelerometer-based light physical activity and attenuated when including walking. Self-reported moderate physical activity was surprisingly positively associated with GDM. Conclusions: different patterns in physical activity between objective measure and self-report in relation to gestational glucose levels were observed. Short-term increase in moderate physical activity prior to OGTT may not be necessary for reducing presence of GDM. Future glucose management for pregnant women may be targeted at lower in-tensity physical activity. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.