Antenatal Exercises: Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Pregnant Women Attending Tertiary Care Hospital, Guntur

Dr. Markapudi Prasanna Kumar, Dr. Phanindra Dulipala

Abstract: Background: Antenatal exercise, or exercise performed by women while they are pregnant, is a crucial component of prenatal care that supports the mother's and the unborn child's health. Engaging in regular physical activity during pregnancy has been associated with numerous benefits, including the prevention of excessive weight gain, reduction in the risk of gestational diabetes, hypertension, and preeclampsia, as well as improvements in psychological well - being and preparation for childbirth. Objectives: 1) To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding antenatal exercises among pregnant women. 2) To determine the association between socio - demographic factors and the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of antenatal exercises among pregnant women. Methods: A cross - sectional study was done by convenience sampling technique among 100 antenatal women attending tertiary care hospital after taking their informed consent. A self - designed, semi - structured questionnaire was administered to collect sociodemographic details and details about their Knowledge, Attitude and Practice regarding physical exercise during pregnancy. Institutional Ethical Committee approval was taken. Data was collected and entered into Microsoft excel spread sheet and analyzed for descriptive statistics. Results: Among the 100 participants, 79% belong to the age group of 19 - 30 years.59% have knowledge about antenatal exercises, 43% felt doing exercise during pregnancy is essential, 32% were practicing antenatal exercises. Women from urban areas showed significantly higher knowledge (p = 0.022) and a more positive attitude (p = 0.018) compared to those from rural areas. However, the difference in practices was not statistically significant (p = 0.208). Employed women had significantly higher knowledge (p = 0.015) and a more positive attitude (p = 0.033) compared to unemployed women, no significant difference was observed in the practices (p = 0.16). Conclusion: The study reveals that while knowledge about antenatal exercises is moderately high, the actual practice is relatively low among pregnant women in Guntur. There is a significant association between demographic factors such as age, area of residence, and occupation with the knowledge and attitude towards antenatal exercises. Interventions to improve the practice of antenatal exercises are necessary, particularly targeting rural and unemployed women to enhance maternal health outcomes.

Keywords: Antenatal women, antenatal exercise, knowledge, attitude, practice

How to Cite?: Dr. Markapudi Prasanna Kumar, Dr. Phanindra Dulipala, "Antenatal Exercises: Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Pregnant Women Attending Tertiary Care Hospital, Guntur", Volume 14 Issue 7, July 2025, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 406-410, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR25705145216, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR25705145216