Abstract
Introduction:
During pregnancy women undergo several transformations, which promote changes in their gravity center (GC) and can result in postural and balance changes.
Objective:
To evaluate the influence of Nintendo WiiFit Plus® on postural balance and quality of life of pregnant women in the third trimester.
Methods:
250 pregnant women enrolled through a non-probabilistic sampling process. The sample consisted of 32 women selected according to the eligibility criteria (nulliparity; low-risk pregnancy, absence of musculoskeletal disorders or surgical procedures in the spine, pelvis, hip or knee), musculoskeletal disorders, allocated as follows: 17 pregnant women in the control group (CG) and 15 pregnant women in the experimental group (EG). The intervention was performed in 12 sessions of 30 minutes each, three times a week. Sociodemographic and obstetric data were presented as median and interquartile range (25% - 75%). A comparison of the relative values of variables before and after the exercise program was performed using the 2x2 ANOVA test (5% significance level).
Results:
There were no significant statistical differences in variables related to postural balance (P > 0.06) and quality of life (P > 0.13).
Conclusion:
The use of Nintendo WiiFit Plus games was not able to promote improvement in postural balance and quality of life of the pregnant women studied.
Keywords:
Rehabilitation; Pregnancy; Physiotherapy; Postural Balance; Video Games