Exploring women’s experience of antenatal physical activity
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the application of the Necessity Concerns Framework to antenatal physical activity.
IRAS ID
233997
Contact name
Sinead Currie
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Stirling
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Physical inactivity during pregnancy can have health implications for women and their children. Engaging in appropriate amounts of physical activity (PA; 150 minutes of moderate intensity PA per week) can improve the pregnancy experience for women, as well as reducing risks such as gestational diabetes and instrumental deliveries. Despite these benefits, engagement in antenatal physical activity is very low, with less than 25% of pregnant women adhering to the guidelines throughout the world. One of the common reasons pregnant women provide for not engaging in PA is their concern of harm to themselves and the baby.
A framework which recognises the impact of such concerns on behaviour is the Necessity Concerns Framework (NCF). This framework suggests that the perceived balance between necessity and concerns towards a behaviour can predict engagement. This framework has proven predictive of medication adherence but, currently, has not been applied to other health behaviours or the pregnant population.
This exploratory study will investigate if the NCF can help to explain non-engagement in antenatal physical activity. Interviews will be conducted with pregnant women to explore their views, beliefs, perceived necessities and concerns towards PA. Pregnant women in each trimester will be recruited from across NHS Dumfries and Galloway. Interviews will be transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis. The findings will provide necessary foundations for understanding the use of the NCF as a theoretical basis in this population. In addition, the findings will aid development of future interventions aiming to improve antenatal PA and associated health outcomes.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0547
Date of REC Opinion
24 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion