Motherhood may lead to a more sedentary lifestyle for women that could place them at risk for heart disease, researchers report here today at the American Heart Association's epidemiology and prevention meeting. A 10-year study of young adult men and women found that parenthood resulted in reduced leisure time physical activities in women, but not in men, says Kathryn Schmitz, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, division of epidemiology, University of Minnesota, who presented the study. This puts women at greater risk for heart disease and other diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle. There wasn't any additional change in physical activity when going from one to two children.
Physical inactivity doubles the risk of coronary heart disease, the cause of heart attacks.
The doubling of risk is comparable to the effects of other major risk factors, such as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure or smoking. The researchers initially assumed that mothers who were the sole caregivers would have a more dramatic drop in physical activity than married mothers. However, that wasn't the case. But it didn't matter whether the woman was married or not. Women may not have the time to exercise.