Poster Session 2
Category: Perinatal Mental Health
Poster Session 2
Graciela Caraballo, MD (she/her/hers)
Resident Physician
Stanford Healthcare
Palo Alto, California, United States
Hayley E. Miller, MD
Assistant Professor
University of California San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
San Francisco, California, United States
Janet Hurtado, BA
Stanford University Healthcare
Palo Alto, California, United States
Chi-Hung Shu, MS
Research Data Analyst
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California, United States
Jane Chueh, MD
Clinical Professor
Stanford University
Stanford University, California, United States
Brendan Carvalho, MD
Professor
Stanford University Healthcare
Palo Alto, California, United States
Pervez Sultan, MD (he/him/his)
Professor
Stanford University Healthcare
Palo Alto, California, United States
Nima Aghaeepour, PhD
Professor
Stanford University
Stanford University, California, United States
Maurice L. Druzin, MD
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Stanford University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine
Palo Alto, California, United States
Danielle M. Panelli, MD (she/her/hers)
Instructor
Stanford University Healthcare
Palo Alto, California, United States
Physical activity promotes healthy pregnancy outcomes, yet many individuals fall short of recommendations. Depressive or anxiety symptoms are linked to reduced activity, but how these symptoms affect objectively measured activity, or influence self-perception of activity, remains unclear. We examined associations between prenatal mood symptoms, measured physical activity, and discrepancies between perceived and actual activity.
Study Design:
In this prospective observational study, 40 pregnant outpatients between 16-36 weeks’ gestation completed mental health screening, then wore wrist Actigraph accelerometers continuously for 7 days. Mood symptoms were defined as Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) >10 or State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) >80. Physical activity metrics included daily steps, metabolic equivalent tasks (METs), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and hourly kilocalorie (kcal) expenditure. Perceived activity was assessed by self-reported average daily hours of activity during the monitoring period. Generalized estimating equations evaluated associations between mood symptoms and each activity metric, adjusting for confounders. Secondary analysis used Spearman correlations to compare measured vs. perceived activity, stratified by mood status.
Results:
Nine (23%) of 40 participants screened positive for mood symptoms. Compared to those without symptoms, they recorded fewer daily steps (adjusted effect -1496 steps, 95% CI -2389 to -603), lower MVPA (-30.2 min/week, 95% CI -56.1 to -4.4), and reduced hourly kcal expenditure (-164.1, 95% CI -308.8 to -19.5, Table 1). Among participants with mood symptoms, actual steps and perceived hours of exercise were negatively correlated (r=-0.79, p=0.0); no such correlation was seen in those without symptoms (Figure 1).
Conclusion:
Prenatal mood symptoms were associated with lower objectively measured physical activity and inaccurate self-perception of activity level. These findings highlight the behavioral and cognitive impact of mood symptoms in pregnancy and support sensor-based monitoring to guide screening and intervention.