Psychometric properties of the Power of Food Scale during pregnancy and postpartum

Hedonic hunger, pleasure-driven motivation to consume highly palatable foods independent of physical hunger, was conceptualized as a stable trait, yet may differ with biopsychosocial changes during pregnancy and postpartum. This study examined measurement equivalence and convergent validity of the Power of Food Scale (PFS), a measure of hedonic hunger, throughout pregnancy (each trimester) and postpartum (6 and 12 months) in N = 458 mothers in North Carolina, United States (Pregnancy Eating Attributes Study; 67.3% White, 15.1% Black) and in comparison to young adult women (N = 1333 from the NEXT Generation Health Study; 60.8% White, 15.8% Black). Confirmatory factor analysis supported longitudinal equivalence in pregnant/postpartum individuals and partial equivalence with young adult women. Associations of PFS with emotional eating, external eating, and delay of gratification supported convergent validity. PFS functions as expected during pregnancy and postpartum. Item-level comparisons to primarily non-pregnant populations should be avoided. Cognitive interviews may clarify item interpretations during pregnancy and postpartum.