BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Physical activity might reduce postpartum depressive symptoms and improve temperament. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum mood in primiparous women.

METHODS: This cohort study was conducted in 165 primiparous women aged 18-35 years referring to the healthcare centers in Tehran, Iran, during 2013-2014. The participants were chosen through stratified random sampling and divided into two groups of low physical activity (n=68) and moderate or high physical activity (n=97). Both groups completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) during weeks 28 and 34 and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) at the end of the sixth postpartum week. For each sub-scale, the minimum and maximum possible scores of this scale are 0 and 21, respectively.

FINDINGS: Mean total scores of stress, anxiety, and depression of the low physical activity group were 9.85±5.74, 5.61±5.11, and 6.23±5.77, respectively, while for the moderate or high physical activity group they were 9.88±5.84, 5.72±5.03, and 6.51±5.70, respectively. In addition, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of mean total score of stress (p=0.969), anxiety (p=0.585), and depression (p=0.396) at the end of the sixth postpartum week. Moreover, no statistically significant relationship was observed between the level of physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum mood.

CONCLUSION: According to our results, physical activity during pregnancy is not associated with postpartum stress, anxiety, and depression.