Description
This study aimed to analyze the relationships between activity levels, Body Mass Index (BMI), stress levels, and depression symptoms in obese pregnant women in Arkansas. Two separate exercise intervention studies were combined in this analysis to ultimately give a sample size of 293 pregnant women who were randomized into standard of care group (control) and an exercise group (treatment/experimental) (n = 115 and n = 178, respectively). Women in the control groups were instructed to independently continue to follow the physical activity guidelines recommended by their gynecologist, whereas the experimental groups participated in a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise programs that ended in stretching. Activity levels were analyzed by looking at discrete weekly step counts at enrollment (~11 weeks to ~15 weeks during pregnancy) and during the third trimester. Other variables measured at this timeframe included BMI, stress levels (Perceived Stress Scale), and depression symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II). Two out of four of my hypotheses were supported. Supported hypotheses from this study included that the treatment group maintained higher weekly steps than the control group and that BMI is related to third trimester weekly steps. Unsupported hypotheses were that activity levels were not inversely related to stress symptoms nor to depression symptoms.
Publication Date
4-2026
Thesis Advisor
Ronald Johnson
Thesis Committee
Clifton Holmes, Taren Swindle, Carmen Williams
Degree Name
BS, Biological Sciences Pre-Professional Studies
Expected Graduation
2026
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
King, Kalayna, "Comparison of Levels of BMI, Stress, and Depression of Women During the Prenatal Period Relative to Their Activity Levels" (2026). Honors Theses. 2.
https://arch.astate.edu/honors-thesis/2
