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(OR03-02-26) Cardiorespiratory Fitness Improvements, Not Exercise Assignment, Are Associated With Reduced Perceived Stress During Pregnancy: Secondary Analysis of the EXPECTING Trial

Saturday, July 25, 2026
8:42 AM - 8:54 AM ET
Location: National Harbor 10-11

    Presenting Author(s)

  • LJ

    Lisa T. Jansen, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Assistant Professor
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Arkansas Children's Research Institute
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • BD

    Brooke R. Davis, BSc

    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Arkansas Children's Research Institute
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

  • DW

    David K. Williams, PhD

    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Arkansas Children's Research Institute
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

  • Aline Andres, PhD, RD (she/her/hers)

    Professor
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Disclosure(s):
Lisa T. Jansen, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Aline Andres, PhD, RD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Objectives: To examine whether changes in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with changes in perceived stress and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

Methods: This secondary analysis used data from the EXPECTING RCT (NCT02125149) evaluating a prenatal exercise intervention on maternal cardiometabolic health outcomes. The analytic dataset consisted of N=263. Consistent with pregnancy exercise safety considerations, cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed as VO2 at 12 and 24 weeks’ gestation. Change in VO2 (ΔVO2) was calculated as 24wk - 12wk VO2. Perceived stress and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at 12 and 36 weeks. Linear regression models examined associations between ΔVO2 and 36wk PSS or BDI-II, adjusting for baseline psychosocial scores, exercise assignment, maternal age, and baseline BMI.

Results: In the primary adjusted model including ΔVO2, group assignment, baseline PSS, maternal age, and baseline BMI, each 1ml/kg/min improvement in VO2 was associated with a 0.45-point lower PSS score at 36wk (β=−0.45; 95% CI: −0.81, −0.09; p=0.015; N=147). Exercise group assignment was associated with a higher adjusted 36wk PSS score (β=2.68; 95% CI: 0.58, 4.77; p=0.013). Change in VO2 was not significantly associated with 36wk depressive symptoms (β=−0.19; 95% CI: −0.46, 0.09; p=0.182; N=164).

Conclusions: Cardiorespiratory fitness improvements from early to mid-pregnancy were associated with lower perceived stress at 36wk. In the same model, exercise assignment was associated with higher adjusted perceived stress. These findings suggest that individual fitness response and assignment to a standardized prenatal exercise intervention may reflect distinct aspects of participation. Future studies should evaluate tailored, flexible prenatal exercise approaches that support cardiovascular fitness while minimizing perceived intervention burden in late pregnancy.

Funding Sources: USDA