Antenatal exercise in Saudi Arabia: Knowledge, attitude and practice

Abstract

Aim: The objective of this study was to estimate the knowledge, attitude and practice of antenatal exercises among mothers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross sectional study evaluated 399 mother’s knowledge, attitude and practice regarding antenatal exercises in Saudi Arabia. Results: The majority of participants have good knowledge, a positive attitude and good practice. The knowledge about antenatal exercise was significantly associated with the educational level only, while knowledge about the contradictions was influenced by age. Other variables (medical condition, complications or number of pregnancies) showed no association. Conclusions: Whilst maternal knowledge and attitudes were generally good, some participants demonstrated a demonstrably low level of knowledge regarding the importance of antenatal exercise, a finding which can be attributed to inadequate health education programmes. One possible response to the dearth of knowledge could be the execution of a health education initiative offered to all pregnant women.