Inappropriate eating behaviors during pregnancy: Prevalence and associated factors among pregnant women attending primary care in southern Brazil

Abstract

Eating disorder symptoms should be routinely assessed and treated during prenatal care, along with other comorbid psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety.

Imagem corporal, atitudes alimentares, sintomas depressivos, autoestima e ansiedade em gestantes de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brasil

“…In relation to the prevalence of the EAT-26, the findings indicated that 20.5% of the subjects presented inappropriate food attitudes. Similarly, Soares et al 39 found a prevalence of 17.3% of these conducts among Brazilian pregnant women. At the same time, Lai et al 20 assessed Chinese pregnant women and found that 9.8% of them reported food disorder symptoms.…”

“…The EAT-26 was the best predictor of negative body image, accounting for 22.6% of the variance in body attitudes. Corroborating this result, the relationship between body and food attitudes has already been analyzed in the literature 3,20,39 . This association is worrisome, since both negative body image and inappropriate food attitudes are symptoms that lead to food disorders 27 .…”

“…At the same time, Lai et al 20 assessed Chinese pregnant women and found that 9.8% of them reported food disorder symptoms. This discrepancy can be justified due to the social context between the west and the east that value different aesthetic patterns 39 . It is also noted that, while Soares et al 39 and Lai et al 20 used the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2, respectively, this present investigation used the EAT-26.…”

“…This discrepancy can be justified due to the social context between the west and the east that value different aesthetic patterns 39 . It is also noted that, while Soares et al 39 and Lai et al 20 used the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2, respectively, this present investigation used the EAT-26. This choice is justified by the fact that this is an instrument much used in Brazilian surveys [50][51][52] .…”

Eating Disorders and Trauma History in Women with Perinatal Depression

“…11,41 Moreover, perinatal complications associated with a lifetime ED diagnosis include an increased risk for hyperemesis, 13,42 smoking during pregnancy, 43 lower birth weight, and birth defects such as cleft palate and neural tube defects, microcephaly, preterm delivery, and cesarean delivery. 12,16,40,[44][45][46][47] Trauma and abuse history in eating disorders and perinatal depression Women with lifetime histories of EDs are also more likely to report a history of childhood sexual abuse and physical abuse compared with women with no ED history.…”