Postpartum health related quality of life: relationship to antenatal exercise practice in a Nigerian population

Background: Antenatal exercise (ANE) has been reported to improve postpartum health outcomes in women. However, postpartum health related outcomes of ANE have been inconsistent in previous studies and have not been studied in a Nigerian population. This study assessed the influence of ANE on postpartum health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Nigerian women.Methods: 350 purposively selected women participated in this cohort study. During the last two pregnancy trimesters, participants completed a questionnaire assessing ANE practice/pattern while the Short Form (SF-36) questionnaire was used to assess HRQOL during postpartum. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with alpha level set at 0.05.Results: Majority (82.9%) of the women practiced ANE. Women who did not exercise showed significantly (p = 0.001) higher general health scores than those who did not. Women who exercised for <30 mins also showed significantly (p = 0.040) higher general health scores, as compared to those who exercised for ≥30 mins. HRQOL was negatively correlated with each of practice and duration of ANE.Conclusions: It was concluded that ANE practice and patterns did not improve postpartum HRQOL. Improved education and supervision of ANE is recommended for improved postpartum health outcomes