ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2014
Physical activity and depressive symptoms after stillbirth: informing future interventions.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Can Physical Activity Support Grief Outcomes in Individuals Who Have Been Bereaved? A Systematic Review.Sports medicine - open · 2021Pooled it
- Leave policy after stillbirth in LMICs: how much are we thinking about bereaved mothers? A scoping review.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Experiences, support networks, and resilience among women after stillbirth in Ghana: a qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Physical Activity and Depression in Mothers of a Child With a Special Health Care Need: Informing Future Interventions.Public health challenges · 2025Article
- Healing hearts: mind-body therapy for mothers after stillbirth's silent grief.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Causal relationship between Women's reproductive traits andFrontiers in genetics · 2024Article
- Prevalence of early postpartum depression and associated risk factors among selected women in southern Malawi: a nested observational study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Observational
- Grief reaction and psychosocial impacts of child death and stillbirth on bereaved North Indian parents: A qualitative study.PloS one · 2021Article
- Experience of parents who have suffered a perinatal death in two Spanish hospitals: a qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2019Article
- Infertility and Perinatal Loss: When the Bough Breaks.Current psychiatry reports · 2016Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn the United States, approximately one in 110 pregnancies end in stillbirth affecting more than 26,000 women annually. Women experiencing stillbirth have a threefold greater risk of developing depressive symptoms compared to women experiencing live birth. Depression contributes negatively to health outcomes for both mothers and babies subsequent to stillbirth. Physical activity may improve depression in these women, however, little is known about acceptable physical activity interventions for women after stillbirth. This is the purpose of this descriptive exploratory study.
methodsEligible women were between ages 19 and 45, and experienced stillbirth within one year of the study. An online survey was used to ask questions related to 1) pregnancy and family information (i.e., time since stillbirth, weight gain during pregnancy, number of other children) 2) physical activity participation, 3) depressive symptomatology, and 4) demographics.
resultsOne hundred seventy-five women participated in the study (M age = 31.26 ± 5.52). Women reported participating in regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes of moderate activity weekly) before (60%) and during (47%) their pregnancy, as well as after their stillbirth (61%). Only 37% were currently meeting physical activity recommendations. Approximately 88% reported depression (i.e., score of >10 on depression scale). When asked how women cope with depression, anxiety, or grief, 38% said physical activity. Of those that reported using physical activity to cope after stillbirth, they did so to help with depression (58%), weight loss (55%), and better overall physical health (52%). To cope with stillbirth, women used walking (67%), followed by jogging (35%), and yoga (23%). Women who participated in physical activity after stillbirth reported significantly lower depressive symptoms (M = 15.10, SD = 5.32) compared to women who did not participate in physical activity (M = 18.06, SD = 5.57; t = -3.45, p = .001).
conclusionsPhysical activity may serve as a unique opportunity to help women cope with the multiple mental sequelae after stillbirth. This study provides data to inform healthcare providers about the potential role of physical activity in bereavement and recovery for women who have experienced stillbirth. Additional research is necessary in this vulnerable population.
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