Internalized Weight Bias, Weight-Related Experiences, And Peripartum Weight.
Meghan Sharp, L G Ward, Chelsey Solar and 3 others
PMID 36912269WHAT IT FOUND
Women who retained more pregnancy weight at 6 to 12 months postpartum reported more negative weight beliefs about themselves and more depression.
Those beliefs were linked to both retained weight and depression.
Key findings
01Postpartum weight retention, not gestational weight gain, was linked to both internalized weight bias and depressive symptoms.
02Internalized weight bias was associated with both postpartum weight retention and depressive symptoms, and it mediated their relationship.
03Internalized weight bias increased from the normal BMI category to the overweight category and was highest in the obese category.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The data were collected at one time point, so the study cannot show that retained weight causes internalized weight bias or depression. Height, weight, and pregnancy weight changes were self-reported and recalled after birth, which can introduce reporting error. The sample was recruited through social media and was mostly non-Hispanic white, highly educated, and affluent, so results may not apply to lower-income, racial, ethnic, or gender-diverse postpartum people. The study did not collect mental health history, medical complications, or treatments before, during, or after pregnancy, which could influence depression and weight. The study measured internalized weight bias but not external weight stigma from providers, family, media, or other sources.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that retaining pregnancy weight causes postpartum depression or that helping women lose weight will reduce depression. This was a cross-sectional survey of self-reported weight and symptoms at 6 to 12 months postpartum, so it shows associations, not cause and effect.