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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Being active in pregnancy: Theory-based factors associated with physical activity among pregnant women.

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ABSTRACTAlthough regular physical activity is recommended for pregnant women, compared to pre-pregnancy, antenatal physical activity often reduces or ceases completely. Drawing from the theory of planned behavior, self-determination theory, and theory on self-control, we aimed to test an integrative model of physical activity in a sample of pregnant women. The current study was conducted in Brisbane, Australia, in 2014–2015 using a prospective-correlational design with a one-week follow-up. Participants (N = 207, Time 1; Meanage = 30.03 years, SDage = 4.49 years) completed an initial survey measuring: intrinsic motivation from the self-determination theory, social cognitive constructs from the theory of planned behavior, and self-control from the self-control theory, followed by a self-report measure of physical activity one-week later (n = 117, Time 2). A well-fitting structural equation model accounted for 73 and 42 percent of the variance in intention and physical activity behavior, respectively. Perce...