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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND BODY COMPOSITION ASSOCIATIONS DURING THE FIRST YEAR POSTPARTUM

Abstract

Erin E. Kishman, Michal T. Smith, Xuewen Wang. University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.

Background: Many women do not return to their pre-pregnancy weight within the first year postpartum, which can increase risk for obesity in the future. Physical activity is commonly used as a weight management tool. However, few studies have examined how sedentary time, light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) affect body weight and body composition changes during the first year postpartum. Methods: Participants were Black (n=48) and White (n=82) women who gave birth to a singleton infant at ≥37 weeks gestation. Visits took place at 6-8 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months postpartum. Weight was measured using a calibrated scale. An Actigraph GT3X+ was worn on the hip for 7 days to measure physical activity. The Troiano cut points were used to determine ST, LPA, MVPA, and counts per minute. A dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan was used to determine fat mass, lean mass, and percent body fat. Spearman’s rank correlation, adjusted for wear-time, was used to examine associations. Results: LPA and MVPA at 6-8 weeks postpartum were significantly associated with change in lean mass from 6-8 weeks to 6 months postpartum (r=-0.24, p=0.0228; r=-0.23, p=0.0235, respectively). These associations remained significant when adjusted for race (r=-0.25, p=0.0184; r=-0.25, p=0.0171, respectively). Longer time engaging in LPA and MVPA was associated with more lean mass loss from 6-8 weeks to 6 months postpartum. Sedentary time or physical activity measures at 6-8 weeks were not associated with changes in body weight, fat mass, or percent body fat from 6-8 weeks to 6 months postpartum. Sedentary time or physical activity measures at 6 months postpartum were not associated with changes in body composition from 6 months to 12 months postpartum. Conclusions: Those with higher levels of physical activity at 6-8 weeks postpartum had greater loss in lean mass from 6-8 weeks to 6 months postpartum. These findings were unexpected, but other behavioral factors, such as sleep and diet, may play an important role in body composition changes during early postpartum. Funding: NIH Grant R21MD012740

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