The Relationship Between Physical Activity Level and Fear of Birth (Tokophobia) in Pregnant Women

Fear of childbirth is defined as the fear felt and experienced before, during and after birth. Fear of childbirth is an acceptable level of fear and motivates the woman to prepare for the birth. However, if the fear developed before pregnancy and/or the severity of the fear increased during pregnancy, this situation is called "Tokophobia". Physical activity is defined as body movements that are performed by using the body's muscles and joints, require energy expenditure above the basal level, can be performed at different intensities, increase heart rate and respiration, and occur with the contraction of large muscle groups. It has been shown in the literature that physical activity in pregnant women contributes to the health of both the mother and the infant. Several studies have reported the benefits of physical activity and exercise in preventing many risks of pregnancy, including lowering the risks of excess weight gain, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, prenatal depression and macrosomia, and improving psychological well-being. Despite the reported benefits of regular physical activity in the literature, it has been reported that the level of physical activity during pregnancy is lower compared to the pre-pregnancy period.