Prenatal Body Image: Association with Disordered Eating Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms Across Pregnancy

Area of Science:

• Perinatal mental health
• Psychological impact of body image during pregnancy

Background:

• Disordered eating behaviors and depressive symptoms pose risks during pregnancy.
• These conditions can negatively affect both the pregnant individual and their offspring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if body image dissatisfaction in early pregnancy predicts eating disorder behaviors and depressive symptoms throughout gestation.
• To understand the predictive relationship between specific body image concerns and perinatal mental health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized latent trajectory modeling with self-report data from 253 participants across three trimesters.
• Assessed depressive symptoms, eating disorder symptoms, and body image using the modified Body Image in Pregnancy Scale.

Main Results:

• Body image dissatisfaction, including preoccupation with body size, attractiveness, and dissatisfaction with strength, tone, and flexibility, significantly predicted third-trimester disordered eating and depressive symptoms.
• Changes in dissatisfaction with strength, tone, and flexibility across pregnancy also significantly predicted third-trimester disordered eating and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Disordered eating behaviors during pregnancy are often overlooked in prenatal care, unlike depressive symptoms.
• Assessing body image concerns in the first trimester may help identify individuals who could benefit from early psychological intervention during pregnancy.