Predictors of physical activity in daily life among women of reproductive age: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) is crucial for health promotion and chronic illness prevention. As chronic illness is increasing among women in young adulthood, there is an urgent need for effective strategies to encourage PA in this population. An improved understanding of PA behaviors and their determinants in daily life among women of reproductive age (i.e., ages 18-50 years) would help to inform intervention efforts. The purpose of this scoping review is to synthesize methods and evidence for studies of time-sensitive predictors of PA among women of reproductive age, and to identify key gaps to be addressed.

METHODS

Searches in Academic Search Complete, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and Web of Science identified observational or experimental studies that used a mobile tool (e.g., wearable PA sensor). Studies were eligible for inclusion if the primary outcome was objectively assessed PA, the predictor was assessed at least once daily, and if participants did not have a medical or psychiatric contraindication to performing PA.

RESULTS

Of the initial 1,874 results, 7 articles that described 6 unique studies met inclusion criteria, with a total of 858 participants. Sample sizes ranged from 30 to 292, and mean age from 20.0 to 42.1 years. We summarized participant characteristics, study characteristics, and findings. Most studies were observational (71.4%). Common PA outcomes were step count and minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA, assessed using commercially available or research-grade devices. PA predictors were assessed at 2 levels (i.e., person or day/moment), with considerable variability in the frequency of assessment.

CONCLUSIONS

This review highlights strengths and weaknesses of the current evidence base and identifies key opportunities for advancing our understanding of PA behaviors among women of reproductive age.