The experience of pregnancy triggers physiological changes that often lead to heightened body image dissatisfaction among women. These changes frequently conflict with the socially defined ideals of female body appearance. Qualitative research has revealed that pregnant women often perceive their bodies negatively, causing distress. As such, it is crucial to comprehend the impact of body image dissatisfaction on a woman’s mental and overall health.
The analysis encompassed studies that gauged body image dissatisfaction before, during, or between pregnancies. All selected studies employed quantitative, validated self-reported measures to assess body image dissatisfaction among both pregnant and non-pregnant women, enabling the calculation of effect sizes.
It’s noteworthy that the analysis excluded studies measuring body image dissatisfaction in the postnatal period, as well as those collecting qualitative data or reporting on patient cases.
Two independent reviewers conducted screening, examining titles and abstracts of non-duplicate studies. This process initially yielded 89 studies for review, from which 17 studies met all inclusion criteria after applying additional exclusions. These 17 studies underwent methodological quality assessments following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist, classifying them into high, moderate, or low-quality categories.
Key data points for analysis encompassed bibliographic and demographic data, study design and moderators, measures and results of body image dissatisfaction, assessment points, and gravidity (whether the current pregnancy was a woman’s first pregnancy).
In cases with no attrition, the researchers calculated a simple mean body dissatisfaction score, which involved a weighted mean of data points collected during pregnancy. Given the continuous nature of the data for each study, standardized mean differences were also calculated.
The final analysis included 17 studies spanning from 1979 to 2022 and encompassing data from 7,630 independent women. Among these women, there were 3,586 pregnant and 2,430 non-pregnant individuals, with an average age of approximately 30 years.
Despite variations in the scales used in the studies, a consistent finding emerged: all studies reported higher levels of body image dissatisfaction among pregnant women when compared to their non-pregnant counterparts. It is noteworthy that certain contributing factors, including age, body mass index (BMI), gravidity, mental health, and gestational stage, were not universally included in all the studies, necessitating caution in interpreting these results.
Among the studies that considered gravidity’s impact on body image dissatisfaction, two reported that women in their first pregnancy experienced lower levels of body dissatisfaction than those in subsequent pregnancies. However, a third study documented slightly higher body dissatisfaction among first-time pregnant women compared to those who had been pregnant before.
Only five of the reviewed studies delved into the potential influence of mental health status on body image dissatisfaction. These studies demonstrated a correlation between depression and increased body dissatisfaction during pregnancy, a pattern reported in several studies.
The review suggests that individuality of experience reigns supreme over the time frame of pregnancy, emphasizing genuine disparities in perinatal encounters.
While the primary statistical analysis of the reviewed studies indicated that body image dissatisfaction did not undergo significant alterations during pregnancy compared to non-pregnant periods, a wide range of results was observed. Some studies indicated lower body image dissatisfaction during pregnancy, while others reported increased dissatisfaction or no change. Consequently, despite the lack of a definitive conclusion on pregnancy’s effect on reducing body image dissatisfaction, the only consistent feature of this review was the diversity of results.
These findings underscore the significant variation in how each woman experiences pregnancy and how the impact on body image satisfaction may be directly linked to how women internalize social pressures. Additionally, some pregnant women may prioritize a healthy pregnancy over dwelling on perceived physical changes, while others may be more attuned to societal ideals of body image.
