Prevalence and psychosocial correlates of disordered eating among Chinese pregnant women in Hong Kong.
Three-hundred-and-fifty-nine Chinese pregnant women were surveyed to determine prevalence and psychosocial correlates of eating disturbance in pregnancy. About 9.8% of participants reported disordered eating symptoms. Prevalence of these symptoms was related to general factors of drive for thinness, body image dissatisfaction, and traditional gender role attitudes. These general factors were, in turn, associated with factors specific to pregnant women. In particular, drive for thinness was related to poor spousal support; body image dissatisfaction was related to poor maternal-fetal attachment; and traditional gender role attitudes were related to strong maternal-fetal attachment and spousal support. Limitations and implications of these findings are discussed.
Lai
Beatrice Pui-Yee
BP
Department of Psychology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Tang
Catherine So-Kum
CS
Tse
Winni Kwok-Lai
WK