Effectiveness of a prenatal exercise snacks programme on physical activity, exercise self-efficacy, maternal health, and pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: A randomised controlled trial

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Physical activity is the cornerstone of GDM management. However, many women with GDM face challenges in initiating and maintaining adequate physical activity. Exercise snacks, defined as short bouts of physical activity performed throughout the day, represent a promising approach to overcome these barriers and may facilitate physical activity engagement among pregnant women with GDM. This randomised controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a prenatal exercise snacks programme in improving physical activity participation, exercise self-efficacy, maternal health, and pregnancy outcomes among women with GDM. Eligible pregnant women diagnosed with GDM will be recruited and randomly allocated to either an exercise snacks intervention group or a usual care control group. Data will be collected at multiple time points, including demographic and clinical characteristics, physical activity levels, exercise self-efficacy, psychological outcomes, blood glucose levels, and pregnancy outcomes. The collected data will be analysed to determine whether the exercise snacks programme is an effective and feasible strategy to promote physical activity and improve health outcomes among women with GDM. The research data generated from this study will support the evaluation of the intervention effectiveness and contribute to the development of evidence-based prenatal physical activity interventions.