The effect of health development behaviour training in pregnancy on sleep quality and physical activity levels: A randomized controlled experimental study

ABSTRACT THE EFFECT OF HEALTH DEVELOPMENT BEHAVIOUR TRAINING IN PREGNANCY ON SLEEP QUALITY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTAL STUDY Kurt F., Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Public Health Nursing, Doctorate Thesis, Aydın, 2024. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of health-promoting behavior education on the sleep quality and physical activity levels of pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This study is a pre-test post-test randomized controlled experimental research. The population of the study consisted of 620 pregnant women, and the sample included a total of 57 pregnant women, with 27 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. Prior to the intervention, individual interviews were conducted, and written consent was obtained from the participants. Subsequently, the questionnaire prepared by the researcher, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) were administered. The experimental group received health-promoting behavior education for six weeks, with sessions held once a week for 30 minutes at a Family Health Center, in a room designated by the center's staff during working hours. At the end of the training, the scales were administered again, and one month after the completion of the education, the PSQI and PPAQ were re-administered. The data obtained from the study were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 package program at a 95% confidence interval and a significance level of 0.05. The normal distribution of the data was evaluated using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Parametric tests were used when normal distribution assumptions were met, and non-parametric tests were applied when these assumptions were not satisfied. Results: It was found that after the training, the occupational activities, total score, and sedentary score averages of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire were significantly higher in the experimental group compared to the control group. Additionally, at the first month following the training, the sports/exercise activities score averages of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Conclusion: The training was found to have a positive impact on occupational activities, total score, sedentary score averages, and sports/exercise activities. It is recommended that education and practices focusing on health-promoting behaviors during pregnancy be expanded and integrated into healthcare services to enhance the sleep quality and physical activity levels of pregnant women. Keywords: Exercise, Education, Pregnancy, Nursing, Sleep