Washington [US], August 20 : A study found that pregnant women who live in walkable neighbourhoods with more sidewalks, parks and walking routes are more likely to engage in physical exercise and have safe pregnancies.
A study that was published in the journal Economics and Human Biology found that pregnant mothers who live in walkable neighbourhoods have lower rates of premature deliveries, low birth weight, gestational diabetes, and hypertension.
Because walking is generally recommended as a safer, more moderate activity for pregnant women, the authors reasoned that living in a more walkable area would have health benefits for pregnant women.
Preterm babies and low birth weight infants are always a concern since they can have a lot more difficulties, according to Professor Karen Conway, professor of economics at UNH’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics
“At the end of the day, the data shows walkable communities mean mom and the baby are both in better health.”
Conway and her co-author Andrea Menclova, associate professor of economics at the University of Canterbury, combined walkability measures created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with detailed data on physical activity from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and pregnancy outcomes from the National Vital Statistics Natality Detail Files (NDF).
They found that a 10-point increase in the walkability index—equivalent to transitioning from the "least walkable" to the "most walkable" category—is associated with a more than 70-minute increase in weekly exercise among pregnant women.
The study did not find a clear connection between walking and its impact on a mother’s weight gain or high birth weight for the baby, known as macrosomia.
“We know that walkability may have other health benefits beyond encouraging more exercise,” said Conway. “Living in an area more suitable for walking gets people outside and interacting with neighbours and relating to others in the community and all of those types of social and intrinsic activities can contribute to better overall health.”
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