Body image disturbances and disordered eating during pregnancy: a comparison of pregnant women with low and high risk of eating disorders

Abstract

The main aims of this study are to examine changes in body image disturbances and disordered eating during pregnancy, among women who presented with low and high risk of eating disorders and to identify predisposing factors (i.e., conditions present in the preconception period) of higher body image disturbances and disordered eating during the first trimester. Two independent samples (n1 = 350, n2 = 179) of pregnant women were included in the study and completed an online survey, including a new body image and disordered eating measure tailored for pregnant women. The first sample contributed to establishing cut-off values for that new measure, which identified women with low and high risk of eating disorders. The second sample was recruited using a longitudinal design with three-time points (T1 = first trimester; T2 = second trimester; T3 = third trimester). Profile analyses revealed that the low-risk group of eating disorders displayed stable body image disturbances and disordered eating during pregnancy, while the high-risk group of eating disorders exhibited decreased body image disturbances and disordered eating from early to mid-pregnancy. Binary logistic regressions revealed that only psychological variables (i.e., history of eating disorders and depression) were significant predictors of high body image disturbances and disordered eating at T1. Our findings emphasize the need to raise awareness within the field of prenatal care to monitor eating disorder symptomatology as well as history of depression and eating disorders in non-clinical women.