Body appreciation moderates the relationship between self-objectification and disordered eating among pregnant women

Literature has consistently documented an adverse association between self-objectification and eating disorders in the general population. Yet, this association has received less attention during pregnancy. Focusing on pregnant women, we tested whether body appreciation, i.e., a positive attitude toward one's body regardless of its appearance, may serve as a protective factor in the relationship between self-objectification and disordered eating symptoms. In a cross-sectional study, 389 primiparous pregnant women in their second to third trimester (M_age = 30.39) were recruited through relevant social media platforms. Participants completed a socio-demographic and health background questionnaire and self-objectification, disordered eating and body appreciation measures. Self-objectification was significantly and positively correlation with disordered eating symptoms. Moreover, body appreciation significantly moderated this relation, such that the relationship was significant for pregnant women with low and medium body appreciation levels, while it was nonsignificant for pregnant women with high body appreciation. The findings suggest that while women with high self-objectification may be more prone to disordered eating during pregnancy, high levels of body appreciation may serve as a protective factor, potentially mitigating negative experiences during the transition to motherhood. Thus, the findings highlight the clinical importance of prenatal interventions to foster body appreciation during pregnancy.