Factors influencing physical activity in postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey in Japan

Background The aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing postpartum physical activity (PA), taking into consideration psychosocial perceptions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by comparing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores. Methods A web-based cross-sectional survey of 787 postpartum women was conducted between March and October 2021. After applying the exclusion criteria, 590 women were analyzed. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form, was used to assess the level and amount of PA. The Short Form-12 Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2) was used to measure HRQoL. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine whether sociodemographic factors and psychosocial perceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with the level of PA. Based on the current national guidelines for exercise in Japan, respondents were classified by weekly PA level as an Inactive group and an Active group to assess the influence of PA on HRQoL. Results Mean total PA was 19.3 total metabolic equivalents hour/week, and the prevalence of an inactive lifestyle was 45.9% among respondents. Each year of age was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.92 (95% CI 0.87-0.97) for becoming physical inactivity during postpartum. Factors positively associated with more active levels were greater number of days for delivery (OR = 1.00; 95% CI 1.00-1.01), multiparity (OR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.00-2.23), having someone to talk about childcare and the individual's partner (OR = 2.04; 95% CI 0.96-4.36) and not having anxiety symptoms (OR = 0.58; 95% CI 0.35-0.97). The Active group had significantly higher HRQoL scores than the Inactive group in the following scales: physical component summary (p < 0.001), mental component summary (p = 0.041). Conclusions The influential factors for postpartum PA level were younger age, longer duration after childbirth, multiparity and not having anxiety symptoms, which correlated positively with PA. The presence of someone with whom can talk to about childcare and partner issues was associated with the maintenance of higher PA among postpartum women, suggesting that factor as a positive influence on PA under unsettled conditions.