Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40331794›Full record

ArticleSexual and reproductive health matters2025

Experiences and perspectives on pregnancy and motherhood in elite athletes - a qualitative study.

Marlene Zahl Marken, Emilie Frederikke Mass Dalhaug, Lone Friis Thing, Frank Eirik Abrahamsen, Kari Bø, Lene Annette Hagen Haakstad

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sexual and reproductive health matters, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Marlene Zahl MarkenPhysical Therapist, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0009-0004-5028-9567
Emilie Frederikke Mass DalhaugPhD Research Fellow, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
Lone Friis ThingProfessor and Head of Department, Department of Sport and Social Sciences, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-4860-1123
Frank Eirik AbrahamsenAssociate Professor, Department of Sport and Social Sciences, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
Kari BøProfessor, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway; Research Group Leader, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-1176-9272
Lene Annette Hagen HaakstadProfessor, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Elite athletes routinely undertake strenuous training routines, which often involve high-intensity sessions. However, there are knowledge gaps in how they experience training during pregnancy and subsequent return to sport. Combined with inadequate financial and contractual safety, female athletes may jeopardise their careers when starting families. This study aimed to describe female athletes' experiences and perspectives related to pregnancy and motherhood within the context of elite sports in Norway. We interviewed five world-class athletes between October 2022 and April 2023, using a descriptive qualitative approach. Full interview transcripts were analysed based on a reflexive thematic analysis model. Five overarching themes were identified: (1) uncertainty, (2) lack of supportive networks, (3) physical capacity, (4) the impact of postpartum return to sports on maternal health, and (5) combining motherhood and elite sports. Our findings emphasise the challenges that Norwegian pregnant and postpartum athletes face in balancing motherhood with successful careers, highlighting the importance of providing adequate support systems to ensure their health and the well-being of their child.

Indexed as

AthletesMothersSportsAdultFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicNorwayPostpartum PeriodPregnancyQualitative ResearchSocial Supportelite sportsmotherhoodpostpartumpregnancytraining

Identifiers

PMID40331794
PMCPMC12120862

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.