Walking promotion in healthy pregnant women and perinatal outcomes: a multivariate analysis comparing active and sedentary mothers

BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity during pregnancy is associated with important maternal health benefits, yet the specific impact of walking on labour and neonatal outcomes remains unclear. Although walking is the most common form of exercise among pregnant women, evidence linking walking levels to obstetric and neonatal results is still limited. We aim to explore the relationship between walking activity level in the third trimester of pregnancy (T3) and obstetric and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of the Walking_Preg Project (WPP) randomised clinical trial registered in the U.S. National Library of Medicine Trials registry (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03735381). Participants were healthy, low-risk pregnant women who were not previously physically active. They were given pedometers and physical activity recommendations. The sample was classified at T3 as physically active (≥7,500 steps/day) or sedentary (