Effects of Nordic Walking on Prenatal Health

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Prenatal Care; Walking

• Registration Number: NCT06673147
• Lead Sponsor: University of Jazan

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the effects of Nordic walking (NW) on gait kinematics, musculoskeletal pain, and quality of life in pregnant women.

Detailed Description

Healthy pregnant women (N=50), aged 20-40 years and between 13 and 28 weeks of gestation, experiencing mild to moderate musculoskeletal pain, will be recruited. Participants will be randomized into either an intervention group (NW training) or a control group receiving standard prenatal care. The intervention group will undergo a 4-week learning phase followed by an 8-week NW program (3 sessions per week, 45 minutes per session), led by a certified instructor. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, after 4 weeks, and post-intervention (8 weeks), including spatiotemporal gait parameters (will be assessed using the GAITRite system), musculoskeletal pain (will be measured via Visual Analog Scale, VAS), and quality of life (will be measured using the SF-36 Health Survey).

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2024-11
• Study First Submitted: 2024-11-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-11-01
• Study First Posted: 2024-11-04
• Study Start: 2024-11-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-11-05
• Last Update Posted: 2024-11-06
• Primary Completion: 2025-02-06
• Study Completion: 2025-02-20

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy women aged 20 to 40 between 13 and 28 weeks into singleton pregnancy.
• Participants must be experiencing mild to moderate musculoskeletal discomfort, such as lower back or pelvic pain,
• Participants have no prior musculoskeletal or neurological diseases.
• They must have no contraindications to exercising throughout pregnancy, as established by obstetrician clearance, and be able to engage in moderate physical activity under medical recommendations

Exclusion Criteria

• History of diseases affecting bony structures or lumbar intervertebral discs.
• Pain caused by non-musculoskeletal factors (such as urinary tract infections or obstetric complications).
• Multiple pregnancies, pre-existing mobility conditions, and high-risk pregnancies or complications that restrict physical activity.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Spatial gait parameters	20 minutes	A GAITRite system will be used to assess the spatial parameters of gait
Temporal parameters of gait	20 minutes	A GAITRite system will be used to assess the temporal parameters of gait

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Quality of life	10 minutes	The SF-36 Health Survey will be used to determine the results.
Visual Analog Score for musculoskeletal pain	5 minutes	The Visual Analog Score is depicted as a 10 cm horizontal line divided into 1 cm sections, each representing 1 point, resulting in a score ranging from 0 to 10 points. Higher scores mean worse outcome.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University.; 🇸🇦 Riyadh, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia