Smartphone GPS-Based Exposure to Greenspace and Walkability and Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Early Postpartum—Evidence from the MADRES Cohort

A growing number of studies have associated walkability and greenspace exposure with greater physical activity (PA) in women during pregnancy. However, most studies have focused on examining women's residential environments and neglected exposure in locations outside the home neighborhood. Using 350 person-days (N = 55 participants) of smartphone global positioning system (GPS) location and accelerometer data collected during the first and third trimesters and 4-6 months postpartum from 55 Hispanic pregnant women from the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) study, we examined the day-level effect of women's exposure to walkability and greenspace on their PA outcomes during pregnancy and in the early postpartum period. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA] minutes per day was assessed using accelerometers. Walkability and greenspace were measured using geographic information systems (GIS) within women's daily activity spaces (i.e., places visited and routes taken) recorded using a smartphone GPS and weighted by time spent. We used a generalized linear mixed-effects model to estimate the effects of daily GPS-derived environmental exposures on day-level MVPA minutes. Results showed that women engaged in 23% more MVPA minutes on days when they had some versus no exposure to parks and open spaces in activity spaces (b = 1.23; 95%CI: 1.02-1.48). In addition, protective effects of daily greenspace and walkability exposure on MVPA were stronger in the first and third trimesters, among first-time mothers, and among women who had high pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and lived in least-safe neighborhoods. Our results suggest that daily greenspace and walkability exposure are important for women's PA and associated health outcomes during pregnancy and early postpartum.