Evaluation of the Effect of Supervised Group Exercise on Self-Reported Sleep Quality in Pregnant Women with or at High Risk of Depression: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Lotte Broberg; Peter Damm; Vibe G Frokjaer; Susanne Rosthøj; Mie Gaarskjaer de Wolff; Stinne Høgh; Ann Tabor; Hanne Kristine Hegaard

doi:10.3390/ijerph19105954

Evaluation of the Effect of Supervised Group Exercise on Self-Reported Sleep Quality in Pregnant Women with or at High Risk of Depression: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 13;19(10):5954. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19105954.

Authors

Lotte Broberg^{1

2

3}, Peter Damm^{1

4}, Vibe G Frokjaer^{5

6}, Susanne Rosthøj⁷, Mie Gaarskjaer de Wolff⁸, Stinne Høgh^{1

5}, Ann Tabor^{4

9}, Hanne Kristine Hegaard^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
² The Interdisciplinary Research Unit of Women's, Children's and Families' Health, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
³ Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Frederiksberg Hospital, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
⁴ Department Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁵ Neurobiology Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁶ Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Copenhagen, 2605 Brondby, Denmark.
⁷ Danish Cancer Society Research Center, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁸ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark.
⁹ Center of Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Abstract

Poor sleep quality is common during pregnancy. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of supervised group physical exercise on self-reported sleep quality in pregnant women with or at high risk of depression, and secondly, to describe the association between sleep quality and psychological well-being during pregnancy and postpartum. This was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (n = 282) (NCT02833519) at Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), psychological well-being by the five-item WHO Well-Being Index (WHO-5). The intention-to-treat analysis showed no difference in mean global PSQI score neither at 29−34 weeks, 6.56 (95% CI: 6.05−7.07) in the intervention group and 7.00 (95% CI: 6.47−7.53) in the control group, p = 0.2, nor at eight weeks postpartum. Women with WHO-5 ≤ 50 reported higher mean global PSQI scores at baseline, 7.82 (95% CI: 7.26−8.38), than women with WHO-5 score > 50, mean 5.42 (95% CI: 5.02−5.82), p < 0.0001. A significant difference was also present post-intervention and eight weeks postpartum. No significant effect of group exercise regarding self-reported sleep quality was seen at 29−34 weeks of gestation or postpartum. Low psychological well-being was associated with poor sleep quality during pregnancy and postpartum.

Keywords: depression; exercise; patient reported outcomes; pregnancy; self-reported; sleep quality.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Depression / epidemiology
Depression / psychology
Female
Humans
Postpartum Period
Pregnancy
Pregnant Women*
Self Report
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders*
Sleep Quality

Grants and funding

Lotte Broberg did this work as part of a PhD project and she, as well as her supervisor, Hanne Kristine Hegaard, were supported by the Danish foundation TrygFonden (reference number 110711) (email: info@trygfonden.dk, phone: 0045 45 26 08 00) and the Research Committee, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital–Rigshospitalet (reference number E-22316-02) (email: anne.vigsoe@regionh.dk, phone: 0045 35 45 64 31). All other authors did not receive financial support.