Constipation is a health condition primarily characterized by reduced defecation, hardened and/or irregular stools, and straining during bowel movements. Literature data suggest that pregnant women may be more susceptible to this condition. Some hypotheses presented include the increase in progesterone in the body during pregnancy and the reduction in physical exercise, as there still exist beliefs and customs regarding its restriction during the gestational period, even without medical reasons for such. Hemorrhoids, venous dilations in the anal canal during pregnancy, may be related to the pressure exerted by the growing uterus on the hemorrhoidal veins, leading to symptoms such as itching, pain, and bleeding during defecation. Similarly, anal incontinence, characterized by the inability to control the loss of gas or feces, may be linked to the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles resulting from pregnancy. This study aimed to verify whether there is an association between the prevalence of constipation, hemorrhoids and anal incontinence and the practice of physical exercise during the gestational period in Brazilian women.

This is a cross-sectional study, which included women aged 18 years or older with up to 6 months postpartum. Data were obtained via an electronic form with questions regarding the last gestational period and self-reporting by the participants about symptoms during the gestational period from the question: "Check if you had any of the health conditions described below during your last pregnancy," with the following options: constipation, hemorrhoids, anal incontinence, and none. Participants could indicate more than one symptom they experienced during the gestational period. Regarding the practice of physical exercises, participants answered the following question: Did you practice physical exercises during pregnancy? For result measurement, descriptive analysis was performed to characterize the participants and determine the prevalence of constipation, hemorrhoids, and anal incontinence. Regarding the association between symptoms and physical activity practice, the Chi-square test was used through SPSS 26.0.

A total of 119 women participated with a mean age of 31 ± 5.2 years. Among the evaluated symptoms, 20.2% (24) reported constipation, 18.5% (22) hemorrhoids, and 0.8% (1) anal incontinence. Regarding the practice of physical exercises during the gestational period, 84.9% (101) claimed to be practitioners. There was no significant association between anorectal symptoms and the practice of physical activity (p>0.05).

It was observed that the highest percentage of symptoms was constipation. The findings of the present study are in line with the literature, which indicates the prevalence of the reported condition between 11 and 38% of pregnant women [1]. Although the current study showed that 18.5% of participants reported having hemorrhoids, this condition is very common during the gestational period, as a study with 835 pregnant women showed that 86% had such a condition [2]. Regarding anal incontinence, the present finding is in agreement with the literature, which shows that the prevalence is low, 3.9% around the 12th week of gestation, but increases in the postpartum period to 5.7% [3]. Although no significant association was found between the mentioned conditions and the practice of physical exercise, studies show that its practice, described and performed correctly according to international guidelines, is still beneficial and preventive for the pregnant woman in other factors, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, as well as improving and preventing conditions that can affect women's quality of life, such as urinary incontinence, depression, and lumbopelvic pain. The study's sample size may have been a limitation for the finding. It is suggested that future studies be conducted with standardized instruments for symptom screening, such as validated questionnaires, so that they may be more suitable for more robust analyses.

During the gestational period, women may present numerous health conditions that can impact pregnancy. Among these, the prevalence of constipation and hemorrhoids stands out. Therefore, it is necessary to use strategies for prevention and guidance for adequate treatment for possible health conditions more frequent in this population.

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