Eating disorder symptoms pre- and postpartum

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Eating disorders (ED) represent a significant public health concern.
• Perinatal mental health, including disordered eating, requires further investigation.
• Standardized measures are essential for accurate assessment of ED psychopathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of disordered eating symptoms in prepartum and postpartum women.
• To assess eating disorder psychopathology using a validated instrument.
• To determine the suitability of a shortened Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) for perinatal populations.

Main Methods:

• A consecutive series of 426 prepartum and 345 postpartum women in Stockholm were assessed.
• The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), an optimized 14-item version, was utilized.
• Data were collected during early pregnancy (10-12 weeks) and 6-8 months postpartum.

Main Results:

• An optimized shortened EDE-Q with a cut-off score of ≥2.8 identified clinical eating disorders.
• 5.3% of prepartum and 12.8% of postpartum mothers screened positive for clinical eating disorders.
• Disordered eating behavior appears more prevalent postpartum than previously recognized.

Conclusions:

• Clinical eating disorders affect a notable percentage of women during the perinatal period, particularly postpartum.
• There is a critical need for increased awareness and specialized services for perinatal eating disorders.
• Healthcare services should implement educational programs and training for frontline staff to address these issues.