title: Body image and psychological well-being in pregnancy. A comparison of exercisers and non-exercisers.
abstract: This study compared the perceptions of body image and psychological well-being between exercising and non-exercising pregnant women. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted with 65 nulliparous women (mean age years = 30.3, range = 23-39) who were allocated to 2 groups based on level of recreational exercise participation; 25 exercisers were compared with 18 non-exercisers. A self-report exercise history questionnaire and a 10 item Body Cathexis Scale were completed on two occasions during the pregnancy, at approximately 17 weeks and 30 weeks of gestation. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) was administered in late pregnancy. There was a significant difference between the exercise group and the non-exercise group in late pregnancy for some items on the Body Cathexis Scale. The exercise group had a lower level of probable caseness on the GHQ-28 with reduced frequency of somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, and a higher level of psychological well-being.
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Astbury
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McMeeken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000523:psychology*; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires