Is There a Relationship Between Physical Inactivity and Visceral Fat Accumulation in Pregnant Women?

Association of Physical Inactivity with Visceral Fat Accumulation in Pregnant Women Ashlyn Showalter, Danielle Brown Introduction: Abdominal obesity is associated with chronic diseases such as obesity and coronary artery disease (1). Abdominal (or visceral) fat is strongly correlated with an inactive and sedentary lifestyle. Recent research shows that pregnancy is associated with high levels of visceral fat beyond appropriate levels; however, no studies have linked them with physical inactivity. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between physical inactivity and high visceral fat accumulation in pregnancy. Methods: •We recruited eleven pregnant women who are currently in their first pregnancy from WellStar Kennestone OB/Gyn. •Visceral fat was calculated via ultrasound assessment of intra-abdominal fat tissue at the participant\u27s regular 20-week assessment at WellStar Kennestone OB/Gyn Medical Group. •Inactivity was defined as amount of time spent sedentary. Subjects were fitted with accelerometers to measure their sedentary sitting time during one week, and we analyzed the time in minutes over the course of a typical day. •Actigraph software was used to compile and quantify the accelerometer data. •Subjects were divided into two groups, Less Sedentary and More Sedentary, based on the median values for sedentary time. Results: •Visceral fat was higher in More Sedentary women. Intra-abdominal fat was positively associated with sedentary time. •The results were very significant, with a p value of 0.028. •Subcutaneous fat levels were also found to be positively linked to sedentary time. •Data also showed a positive correlation between subjects’ pre-pregnancy weight and their sedentary time. Resources 1. Nakamura, Tadashi, Katsuto Tokunaga, Iichiro Shimomura, Makoto Nishida, Shingo Yoshida, Kazuaki Kotani, A.h.m Waliul Islam, Yoshiaki Keno, Takashi Kobatake, Yoshiyuki Nagai, Shigenori Fujioka, Seiichiro Tarui, and Yuji Matsuzawa. Contribution of Visceral Fat Accumulation to the Development of Coronary Artery Disease in Non-obese Men. Atherosclerosis 107.2 (1994): 239-46. Print. 2. Goodpaster, B. H., J. P. DeLany, A. D. Otto, L. Kuller, J. Vockley, J. E. South-Paul, S. B. Thomas, J. Brown, K. McTigue, K. C. Hames, W. Lang, and J. M. Jakicic. Effects Of Diet And Physical Activity Interventions On Weight Loss And Cardiometabolic Risk Factors In Severely Obese Adults: A Randomized Trial. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 304.16 (2010): 1795-802. Print