Prevalence of Leg Cramps in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy and Its Relationship to Nutritional Behavior and Consumption Supplementation in Pregnancy

Backgrounds Muscle cramp is a local, tangible, and involuntary spasm that usually involves the calf skeletal muscle; it is also one of the most common symptoms, particularly in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. The current study aimed at determining the prevalence of leg cramps in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and its relationship with nutritional behavior and consumption of supplements.
Methods & Materials The current cross sectional study was conducted on 439 pregnant females referred to Tabriz health care centers, Iran, from 2013 to 2014; the subjects were randomly selected from all pregnant females referred to the health care centers. Data were collected by a 4-part questionnaire including sociodemographic, obstetric characteristics, nutritional behavior of sub-health promotion lifestyle questionnaire (HPLP-2), and information about the features of leg cramps. Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics including independent t, Pearson correlation, and Chi-square tests.
Results According to the results of the current study, 57.9% of the participants developed leg cramps in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the cramp numbers per week was 6.0±178.17, length of leg cramps 40.2±178.1 minutes, and severity of leg cramps 6.0±2.6. There was no significant correlation between the characteristics of leg cramps in pregnancy including number, length, severity, mean score of nutritional behavior, and consumption of supplements.
Conclusion Leg cramp is a common side effect in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. It is the best to perform clinical trials to prevent and treat leg cramps during pregnancy.