Support or stigma? Investigating weight stigma and close relationships from pregnancy through the postpartum

Weight stigma in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal physical and mental health outcomes. Critical interpersonal networks (i.e., family, friends, and partners) may be a buffer to weight-stigmatizing experiences. However, they may themselves also be a source of stigma, which can then be a d...

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Veröffentlicht in:Stigma and health (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 2023-11
Hauptverfasser: Nagpal, Taniya S., Incollingo Rodriguez, Angela C.
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Weight stigma in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal physical and mental health outcomes. Critical interpersonal networks (i.e., family, friends, and partners) may be a buffer to weight-stigmatizing experiences. However, they may themselves also be a source of stigma, which can then be a detriment to relationship quality. Pregnant individuals (≥ 13 weeks) completed a battery of questionnaires online that assessed experiences of weight stigma from close relationships during their pregnancy and again at 3 months postpartum. Quality of relationships was assessed at both time points via The Satisfaction with Family Life Scale, The Friendship Network Satisfaction Scale, and The Dyadic Adjustment Scale Short Form. Linear regression analyses assessed the association between each endorsed source and the relationship quality scores in pregnancy and postpartum. The sample included 471 respondents, and the majority indicated they had experienced weight stigma from close relationships during pregnancy ( n = 398, 84.5%) and postpartum ( n = 343, 72.8%). A significant negative association was found between weight stigma experienced by family and quality of those relationships in pregnancy ( R² = 0.013, β = −0.995, p = .01). There was a significant negative association between weight stigma experienced by partners ( R² = 0.018, β = −0.142, p = .002) and family ( R² = 0.029, β = −0.177, p < .001) and relationships in the postpartum. When evaluating change scores in relation to weight stigma in pregnancy, there was a significant association with selection of friends as sources ( R² = 0.016, β = 2.510, p = .006). As these interpersonal networks are integral social support systems, population-level strategies to mitigate weight stigma and improve weight discourse in pregnancy and postpartum are needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)
ISSN:2376-6972
2376-6964
DOI:10.1037/sah0000493