Three distinct profiles of barriers to physical activity during pregnancy among Chinese women: a latent profile analysis.

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) is a modifiable factor that contributes to maternal and fetal health. Adherence to the World Health Organization recommendations remains low among pregnant women. Recent studies have identified barriers to PA during pregnancy and the factors influencing it, but population heterogeneity remains underexplored. This study identified distinct profiles of barriers to physical activity during pregnancy and their associated factors, which may facilitate rapid screening of high-risk groups and offer a novel perspective for managing these barriers. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out at a general hospital in Shanghai, China, from 1 December 2024 to 31 May 2025. Three hundred pregnant women completed a demographic characteristics questionnaire, the social support rating scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire, and the barriers to physical activity during pregnancy scale (BPAPS). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify groups showing different levels of barriers to physical activity during pregnancy. Additionally, univariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to reveal the factors influencing the different groups. Results: Three profiles of barriers to PA during pregnancy emerged: the "Low-barrier group" (10.3%), the "Moderate-barrier group" (54.3%), and the "High-barrier group" (35.3%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that income, pre-pregnancy exercise frequency, exercise guidance, and the GAD-7 score were significantly associated with profile membership. Discussion: This study categorized barriers to PA during pregnancy and identified their associated factors. Healthcare providers may use these findings to deliver tailored interventions to reduce these PA barriers.