Examining the Influence of Social Media Education Through Mobile- Phone on the Change in Physical Activity Behavior of Pregnant Women: An Intervention Study

Abstract

\n Background: Nowadays, a new model of health approach through mobile-phones is widely used to deal with improving physical activity and its beneficial effect on pregnancy. This study was aimed to determine the influence of social networking through mobile phones on changing the physical activity behavior in pregnant women.Methods: This randomized interventional study was conducted with parallel groups on 90 pregnant women referring to Urmia Health centers in 2018-2019. The participants from various social and economic backgrounds were randomly included. The participants were randomly assigned to a control and a treatment group. Demographic and Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) questionnaires were filled. In addition to routine care, the treatment group received educational intervention through social network within 16 training sessions related to physical activities and nutrition in 8 weeks.Results: The mean physical activity level and weight in both control and treatment groups differed significantly after intervention (P<0.001). At the beginning of the study, control and treatment groups were not different in terms of daily physical activity level (P=0.17), meanwhile, there was a statistically significant difference at the end of intervention in the level of daily physical activity (P<0.001). Comparison of both groups, based on different categories of activity level at the end of the treatment, showed a non-significant difference in sedentary activities (P=0.89), but the intervention led to a significant difference based on the other level of activities; light (P<0.001), medium (P<0.001), and intense (P=0.05).Conclusion: Educational intervention based on social networks through mobile phones had an effective role in behavior change in physical activity during pregnancy.Trial registration code: IRCT20151004024340N15, Registration date: 2020/06/05