Effect of Exercises and Diet Intervention in Pregnancy on Postpartum Weight Retention and Obesity Markers: Findings in Indian Women

Background: Women are increasingly becoming overweight and obese in India. Pregnancy increases this risk further. Preventive measures at this stage can benefit both the mother and her offspring. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of supervised and unsupervised antenatal exercises with and without diet component as behavioral interventions on obesity markers in pregnant Indian women. Study Design: It is an experimental study with different subject designs (parallel group pre- and post-comparisons). Methods: One hundred forty pregnant women recruited from a maternity hospital were divided into 5 groups, that is, control, diet, home exercise, supervised exercise, and supervised exercise with diet. Outcome Measures: Weight (excess gestational weight gain and postpartum weight retention), body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist to hip ratio. Outcome measures were assessed at 3 time points, that is, during early pregnancy, at delivery, and at 2 months postdelivery. Statistics: Descriptive, parametric and nonparametric tests and effect size (ES) were used to present these results. Results: Both the supervised exercise interventions were most effective in managing obesity markers such as waist circumference (large ES = 0.809 and 0.756, P = .001). Home exercises were effective for body mass index control (ES = 0.501). Supervised exercise groups also had least weight retention at 2-month follow-up (ES = 0.597 and 0.501), followed by the home exercise (ES = 0.438) and diet (ES = 0.138) groups as compared with the control group. Conclusion: Interventions of supervised exercises are most effective in reducing the rise of obesity markers in young Indian women up to 2 months postdelivery. Home exercise and diet care could be the next best intervention.