Prevalence of physical activity among pregnant women attending antenatal care services in public facilities Harari region Eastern Ethiopia

Background Regular physical activity during pregnancy is crucial in promoting fetal growth, reducing the risk of pregnancy complications, enhancing labor and postpartum experiences, supporting mental and emotional well-being, and improving overall health. However, there is a dearth of evidence on the practice of physical activity among pregnant women in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess physical activity practice in pregnant women attending antenatal care services in public health facilities in Harari Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia, from December 15, 2023 to January15, 2024. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 435 randomly selected pregnant women. A pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used to collect the data through face-to-face interviews. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS 26.0 software. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the level of physical activity. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval was used to report association, and statistical significance was declared at P-value < 0.05. In the current study, 50.1% (95% CI: 45.5, 54.9) of pregnant women practice adequate physical activity. Women attending health centers (AOR = 2.81, 95% CI: 1.85, 4.26), women aged 25-34 years (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.25, 3.02), urban residence (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.17, 2.91), and women with good perceived benefits (AOR = 4.78, 95% CI: 3.12-7.31) were significantly associated with physical activity. The practice of physical activity among pregnant women in Harari region, Eastern Ethiopia was low, comparing with WHO recommendation, at least 150 min of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week during pregnancy. Thus, maternal and organizational interventions targeting pregnant women attending hospitals, rural residents, and young mothers are paramount to improving maternal physical activity and well-being.