The relationshipbetween body perception, self-esteem, depression and eating behaviors of pregnant women

Authors : Halis Doğukan Özkan, Hilal Doğan Güney, Elif Nazlı Çetindağ

Pages : 581-587

Doi:10.32322/jhsm.1696159

View : 95 | Download : 102

Publication Date : 2025-07-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Aims: Pregnancy can lead to significant changes in women’s body perception, self-esteem, depression and eating behaviors. This study was conducted to examine the relationships between these psychosocial variables in pregnancy. Methods: The study was conducted in a private hospital between January and March 2025. Forty-eight pregnant and 54 non-pregnant women participated in the study. Demographic information form, Pregnancy Body Perception Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, eating attitude test-26 and Beck Depression Scale were applied to the participants. The data were analyzed in SPSS 27 program. Results: It was found that depression and eating attitude disorder scores increased as pregnancy body perception scores increased (p<0.05). Body perception and self-esteem scores were found to be lower in women with high maternal perception. No significant differences were found between the groups in terms of self-confidence, depression, and eating attitudes. However, significant differences were found between the groups in terms of eating habits and sources of nutrition information. Conclusion: There are significant relationships between body perception, self-esteem and eating behaviors during pregnancy. Psychosocial variables should be addressed holistically during pregnancy and support programs can be structured accordingly.
Keywords : Hamilelik, vücut algısı, öz saygı, depresyon, yeme tutumları, psikososyal faktörler, hamilelikte ruh sağlığı

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