Introduction: Pregnancy is a physiological process that causes many physical changes, among other things it affects the regulation of body posture and balance. Falling during
pregnancy is a common cause of various injuries, the entire death of the mother or the fetus is possible, so strategies to prevent falls are necessary. The literature recommends physical activity as one of the promising interventions. Purpose: The purpose of the master's thesis was to determine the incidence of falls among pregnant women in Slovenia and to determine whether physical activity recommended by World Health Organization during pregnancy is associated with a lower proportion of falls. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted, data were collected using an online questionnaire (webside 1KA) consisting of three parts: socio-demographic data, falls, physical activity. Using snowball sampling, adult female volunteers aged 18 to 45 years, who gave birth less than a year ago and were
not advised against physical activity, were included in the sample. Results: The sample consisted of 363 female volunteers who filled out the questionnare correctly. 19% fell at least once, 3% of pregnant women at least twice. When comparing the proportion of falls between pregnant women who exercised and those who did not, regardless of the inclusion of the criterion of achieving the World Health Organization guidelines for physical activity during pregnancy, no statistically significant differences were found. Discussion and conclusion: The research found no correlation between falls and physical activity during
pregnancy, contrary to the only research identified that tested this claim. Our sample was much larger and our results on the incidence of falls more consistent with other authors who reported the proportion of falls in pregnant women. Nevertheless, we encourage recommendations for physical activity during pregnancy, as there is evidence of many benefits in other areas.
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