Omkalthoom Yahia Sahagi

Dr. Omkalthoom Yahia Sahagi

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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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21 June 2026 in Healthcare
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
NRNadia Lotfy Radwan
Nadia Lotfy Radwan
OAOlfat Ibrahim Ali
Olfat Ibrahim Ali
WMWalaa El sayed Morsy
Walaa El sayed Morsy
MSMarim Slimani
Marim Slimani
OSOmkalthoom Yahia Sahagi
Omkalthoom Yahia Sahagi
WAWafaa Mahmoud Amin
Wafaa Mahmoud Amin
Background/Objectives: Given the growing need for prenatal care, Nordic Walking (NW) is a promising intervention for maintaining maternal physical activity and quality of life (QoL). We aimed to investigate the influence of NW on gait kinematics, pelvic girdle pain, low back pain (LBP), and QoL during pregnancy. Methods: This is a single-blind randomized controlled trial. A total of 44 pregnant women aged 20 to 40 years with 13–28 weeks of gestation and mild to moderate musculoskeletal pain were included. Participants were randomly assigned to either the study (NW) group or the control group. The study group received the NW program for 12 weeks, three sessions per week, each lasting 45 min. The control group received standard prenatal care plus 30 min of moderate walking three days a week. The GAITRite system was used to measure gait kinematics, and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain and the SF-36 for QoL were administered at baseline, the fourth week, and the twelfth week. Results: NW significantly improved gait kinematics and reduced musculoskeletal pain (p < 0.001) with improvements in pain and gait speed exceeding the previous reported MCID thresholds. QoL improved across all SF-36 domains in the NW group (p < 0.001) compared with the control group, with large effect sizes observed for the primary outcomes. Conversely, the control group experienced declines in several QoL domains, including energy/fatigue and emotional well-being, despite moderate walking exercise and standard prenatal care over 12 weeks. Conclusions: NW may represent an effective prenatal exercise regimen associated with improved gait, reduced pain, and better overall QoL compared with moderate exercise, consistent with standard prenatal care.