An isotemporal model examines movement behaviors' impact on body weight in postpartum women, suggesting the need for light activity promotion.
Key Points
This study aims to analyze how reallocating daily movement behaviors affects body weight in postpartum women throughout the first year after childbirth.
Included 86 postpartum women who delivered at or after 37 weeks gestation
Measured physical activity and sleep using actigraphy during early, mid-, and late postpartum
Assessed body weight at each timepoint
Utilized isotemporal substitution models to analyze behavior reallocations
Participants spent ~52-53% of their time sedentary, ~30% sleeping, ~12-13% in light physical activity, and ~2% in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
Reallocating 10 min of MVPA to LPA, SED, or sleep in early and mid-postpartum linked to lower body weight (3.07-4.03 kg lower)
In early and late postpartum, reallocating 10 min of SED to LPA associated with weight reduction (4.03 kg and 1.04 kg, respectively)
Participants sleeping ≥7 h had lower body weight when reallocating sleep or MVPA, while those sleeping <7 h showed no significant associations