Abstract
Background: Depressive symptoms during pregnancy may cause unfavorable consequences for both the mother and the infant’s physiological and psychological health. Recent evidence indicates that body image plays an important role in prenatal depression. The present study’s main purpose was to investigate the level of acceptance of physical appearance in pregnant women, their attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity, and some obstetric characteristics as significant predictors in the development of depression. Methods: A sample of 150 Polish pregnant women completed a set of self-report questionnaires, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Attitudes toward Maternity and Pregnancy Questionnaire (PRE-MAMA), and the Body-Self Questionnaire (EA-BSQ). All participants also answered a brief sociodemographic and obstetric information questionnaire. Results: A hierarchical binary logistic regression was conducted to predict prenatal depression from selected obstetric variables (unplanned pregnancy, multiparity, and miscarriages) and psychological variables (appearance evaluation and positive or anxious attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity). It was found that higher levels of negative evaluation of appearance increased chances of depression in pregnant women by almost one-and-a-half. The analysis revealed that positive attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity were the most important protective factor for depression. Conclusions: The results confirmed the importance of dissatisfaction with body image during pregnancy as a predictor of the onset of prenatal depression. However, in clinical practice, this risk factor should be considered in combination with positive maternal attitudes, not separately. The implications for future studies and interventions in the field of prenatal depression are discussed in this work.
Highlights
Perinatal depression is defined as the occurrence of depressive symptoms in women during pregnancy or within the first 12 months after delivery [1,2].Depression that occurs in the course of pregnancy is known as prenatal depression, while depression that occurs after childbirth defines postnatal or postpartum depression [3]
This study investigated how dissatisfaction with physical appearance and maternal attitudes during pregnancy are associated with prenatal depression
It was sought whether a negative assessment of appearance combined with anxious attitude to pregnancy and some obstetric characteristics could be risk factors for prenatal depression and whether a positive maternal attitude could have a mitigating influence on depression in pregnant women
Summary
Perinatal depression is defined as the occurrence of depressive symptoms (major and minor depressive episodes) in women during pregnancy or within the first 12 months after delivery [1,2].Depression that occurs in the course of pregnancy is known as prenatal depression, while depression that occurs after childbirth defines postnatal or postpartum depression [3]. The prenatal depression experienced by pregnant women has various negative consequences for the wellbeing of the woman, her partner, family, and the birth and development of the child [5]. It increases the risk of postnatal depression [6,7], Int. J. The present study’s main purpose was to investigate the level of acceptance of physical appearance in pregnant women, their attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity, and some obstetric characteristics as significant predictors in the development of depression. In clinical practice, this risk factor should be considered in combination with positive maternal attitudes, not separately
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