Effect of extended parallel process model training on enhancing physical activity of overweight pregnant women: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: The present study determined the effect of extended parallel process model (EPPM) based training on enhancing the physical activity of overweight pregnant women.

Materials and methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial examined 100 overweight pregnant women referred to prenatal care clinics in Mahdiye and Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, in August 2022. The participants were assigned into two intervention and control groups through random allocation. The intervention group underwent EPPM-based training three times (18-20, 26-30, and 37-38 weeks of gestation), while the control group received regular prenatal care. The training content and approach were designed and presented based on the four constructs of EPPM, that is, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived efficacy, and perceived self-efficacy. The 32-item Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) was used to measure and compare the participants' four activity types at three rounds (18-20, 26-30, and 37-38 weeks of gestation) and their physical activity calendar in two periods. The data were analyzed by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 software at a significance level of < 0.05.

Results: After the educational intervention, the mean physical activity scores of the intervention and control groups were1462.2 ± 477.67and 861 ± 381.29 (P < 0.001; CI = 95%) in the first round, 1278.15 ± 480.31 and 675 ± 375.03 (P < 0.001; CI: 95%) in the second round, respectively. The mean weight gain value in the second trimester equaled 4.09 ± 0.76 and 4.52 ± 0.71for the intervention and the control group, orderly. This difference was significant in the second trimester (P = 0.002) but not in the third. Likewise, a comparative analysis of the neonates' anthropometric indices and prenatal complications revealed no significant differences.

Conclusion: The EPPM-based educational intervention effectively contributes to motivating pregnant women and changing their behavior toward improving their physical activity and can be employed to encourage them to enhance their physical activity during pregnancy.