Xiao Yang,1 Yingli Song,2 Ji Zhang,2 Yan Wang,2 Hui Huang,2 Jing Zhang,2 Lingling Gao3 

1School of Nursing, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Zhengzhou Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Nursing, Sun yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Lingling Gao, Email gaoll@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Background: Physical activity could decrease the odds of pregnant women at high risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) developing GDM. Physical activity self-efficacy was the key predictor of physical activity. This study aimed to examine physical activity self-efficacy and identify its predictors among pregnant women at high risk for GDM in mainland China.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zhengzhou, China, from October 2021 to February 2022. Two hundred fifty-two pregnant women at high risk for GDM completed the Pregnancy Physical Activity Self-efficacy Scale, the Social Support for Physical Activity Scale, the Knowledge of Physical Activity Questionnaire, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and a socio-demographic data sheet. Multiple linear regression was used.
Results: Chinese pregnant women at high risk for GDM reported a moderate level of physical activity self-efficacy. The best-fit regression analysis revealed four predictors. Social support for physical activity was the strongest predictor, followed by knowledge of physical activity, intention to do physical activity, and anxiety symptoms.
Conclusion: The study found that Chinese pregnant women at high risk for GDM had a moderate level of physical activity self-efficacy, which had 4 predictors. Healthcare professionals should make efforts to enhance pregnant women’s social support, knowledge, and intention to do physical activity and decrease their anxiety symptoms to improve their physical activity self-efficacy.

Keywords: physical activity, gestational diabetes, self-efficacy, predictors