Abstract
The experiences of change that pregnant women live through can have a negative effect on their bodily attitudes and the associated variables. This study aimed to establish the influence on pregnant women’s body image of their eating attitudes, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, anxiety and body mass index. This is a quantitative, cross-sectional study, of 386 pregnant women of a range of child-bearing age – from 18 to 46 (mean 29.32 ± 6.04) – of the city of Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Instruments were applied to evaluate body attitudes, food attitudes, depressive symptoms, self-esteem and anxiety. Anthropometric and obstetric data were collected. Descriptive, comparative and correlational statistical analyses were made. The findings indicated significant correlations between body attitudes and: inadequate eating attitudes (r = 0.478), depressive symptoms (r = 0.387), low self-esteem (r = 0.431) and high BMI (r = 0.339). In addition, these variables together exerted an influence measured as 41.4% on the negative body image of the pregnant women. Thus, it is recommended that pregnant women should be assessed nutritionally and psychologically and given orientation in these aspects, in order to detect and prevent psychopathology, with a view to optimal maternal and child health.
Pregnancy; Depression; Food behavior; Nutritional state; Adult