The attitude of women in the perinatal period to food and their own body depending on the satisfaction with the relationship

Abstract

The period of pregnancy and puerperium is a unique experience in a woman's life. Although her attention and care are primarily focused on the child, his health and proper development, her self-image still plays an important role for her. One of the determinants of accepting your own body is its weight, which during pregnancy and puerperium - for obvious reasons - is much higher than before. Also other changes that accompany a woman during this period (e.g. discoloration, stretch marks, swelling) affect the assessment of her image. Acceptance of your own physis is largely conditioned by the relationship with your partner, including the sense of support and understanding that the woman experiences from him. The aim of the own research, designed in the model of correlation with the control group, was to verify the relationship between the body image and nutritional behavior of pregnant and postpartum women, depending on their satisfaction with the partner relationship. The variables were measured with the Kwestionariusz zachowan związanych z jedzeniem by N. Ogińska-Bulik and L. Putyński, the Kwestionariusz wizerunku ciała by A. Głębocka and the Inwentarz jakości związku in the Polish adaptation of H. Liberska, D. Suwalska-Barancewicz and P. Izdebski. It has been shown that there is a statistically significant correlation between the body image and nutritional behaviors both in women from the proper group - during pregnancy and puerperium, and in the control group - in women who are not pregnant and in the puerperium period. It has been empirically confirmed that the better the body image, the better the relationship with food and the less abnormal eating behavior. In addition, women who are satisfied with their relationship have a more positive self-image and more constructive eating behavior. The conducted research shows that for women in the perinatal period, as well as those who are not currently pregnant and in the postpartum period, the acceptance of the body image is a factor that protects against unconstructive eating behavior, and the feeling of satisfaction in the relationship is conducive to both a positive assessment of one's own physicality and in the postpartum period and proper relationship with food.