Study on the relationship between body image disturbance and depression and anxiety symptoms in pregnant women： a scoping review

Abstract

BackgroundPsychological problems such as depression and anxiety are common in pregnant women， and many studies have found that body image disturbance is closely related to depression and anxiety symptoms. Still， there is large variability in previous findings.ObjectiveTo review the researches on the relation of body image disturbance to depression and anxiety in pregnant women， and to provide a reference for interventions targeting maternal body image disturbance and depression and anxiety symptoms.MethodsOn January 10， 2023， well qualified literature focusing on the relationship between body image disturbance and depression and anxiety symptoms in pregnant women were searched in PubMed， Embase， CINAHL， Web of Science， China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， VIP databases， Wanfang Data Database and China Biology Medicine disc （CBMdisc） from inception to January 1， 2023. The research content， factors influencing body image disturbance and relevant findings were extracted and summarized for analysis.ResultsA total of 14 articles were included in this review. The body image disturbance in pregnant women was manifested predominantly by an excessive concern about body weight and shape， and was affected by demographic characteristics， sociocultural factors， obstetric factors and other factors. Furthermore， body image disturbance significantly predicted the occurrence of depression， and proved a close relationship with anxiety symptoms.ConclusionBody image disturbance seriously affects the physical functioning and psychological status of pregnant women and may further exacerbate the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Keywords

• pregnant women
• body image disturbance
• depression
• anxiety
• scoping review