Table 3.
Possible risk factors compared between women with and without diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) 12 months post partum
| Variable | DRA n=57 |
No DRA n=120 |
p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) (±SD) | 28.0±4.3 | 29.1±4.3 | 0.11 |
| Height (cm) (±SD) | 169±5.7 | 167.2±6.3 | 0.05 |
| Mean weight before this pregnancy (kg) (±SD) | 66.1±11.9 | 67.3±12,1 | 0.55 |
| Weight gain from prepregnancy to gestation week 37 (kg) (±SD) | 15.3±5.6 | 15.0±4.5 (n=108) | 0.80 |
| Baby's birth weight (g) (±SD) | 3537±508 | 3454±527 | 0.32 |
| Delivery mode | |||
| Vaginal (n (%)) | 45 (78.9) | 98 (81.7) | 0.69 |
| Caesarean section (n (%)) | 12 (21.1) | 22 (18.3) | |
| Hypermobility | |||
| Hypermobility (n (%)) | 13 (22.8) | 14 (11.7) | 0.07 |
| No hypermobility (n (%)) | 44 (77.2) | 106 (88.3) | |
| General cardio exercise 12 months post partum (n (%)) | |||
| <20 min 3 times weekly high or 30 min 5 times weekly moderate intensity | 41 (71.9) | 91 (75.8) | 0.58 |
| ≥20 min 3 times weekly high or 30 min 5 times weekly moderate intensity | 16 (28.1) | 29 (24.2) | |
| General strength exercise 12 months post partum (n (%)) | |||
| <2 times weekly | 54 (94.7) | 97 (80.8) | 0.05 |
| ≥2 times weekly | 3 (5.3) | 23 (19.2) | |
| Abdominal exercise 12 months post partum (n (%)) | |||
| Never/seldom | 41 (71.9) | 75 (62.5) | 0.09 |
| 1 time per week | 10 (17.5) | 15 (12.5) | |
| 2 times per week | 3 (5.3) | 21 (17.5) | |
| ≥3 times per week | 3 (5.3) | 9 (7.5) | |
| Pelvic floor muscle exercise 6–12 months post partum (n (%)) | |||
| Never/when needed | 41 (71.9) | 75 (62.5) | 0.07 |
| 1 time per week | 10 (17.5) | 17 (14.2) | |
| 1–2 times per week | 3 (5.3) | 12 (10.0) | |
| ≥3 times per week | 3 (5.3) | 16 (13.3) | |
| Heavy lifting (n (%)) | |||
| <20 times per week | 39 (68.4) | 99 (82.5) | 0.05 |
| ≥20 times per week | 18 (31.6) | 21 (17.5) | |
Numbers (n) with percentages (%), mean with SD.