Compensatory health beliefs in women in the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy

Compensatory health beliefs may serve as one of many self-regulatory strategies that individuals employ to maintain healthy lifestyles. Past research with samples from a general population has shown, however, that compensatory beliefs are ineffective in this regard and may even lead to inaction in future health-related behaviors such as eating healthily or being active. To better understand this phenomenon, in the present study, changes in compensatory health beliefs regarding various life domains were examined in a group of pregnant women.

In a longitudinal study design, 166 women completed questionnaires in the first (t₁), the second (t₂), and the third (t₃) trimester of their pregnancies. We assessed the level of their self-control as a trait (t₁, t₂, t₃), compensatory health beliefs (t₁, t₂, t₃), and unhealthy snacking (t₃).

As predicted, self-control as a trait decreased and the levels of compensatory beliefs increased over time. A linear mixed effects analysis showed that self-control was the best predictor of compensatory beliefs in the third trimester. Finally, compensatory health beliefs in the third trimester mediated the effect of self-control at the beginning of pregnancy on unhealthy snacking in the third trimester.

It appears important to support pregnant women in opting for constructive self-regulatory strategies, especially in their final trimesters, when coping resources are exhausted by the challenges of this period.