Hedonic Hunger in Pregnancy: Links to Dietary Inflammation, Distress, and Partner Support

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between hedonic hunger, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and various psychological factors in pregnant women.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2023 and March 2024 using face-to-face interviews on 123 pregnant women in Erzurum Province. The data collection form consisted of five parts: the socio-demographic form, “Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale (TPDS)”, “Power of Food Scale (PFS-Tr)”, “Spouse Support Scale”, and Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ). DII was calculated by using foods and nutrients derived from the SQ-FFQ data.Results: Of the participants, 61.8% were aged 25–34 years, and 30.9% were high school graduates. It was found that 78% of the pregnant women were overweight/obese, and 74.8% had hedonic hunger. There was a statistically significant negative relationship between DII and spouse support scores of pregnant women (r=-0.24, p=0.007). Significant differences were observed in spouse support scores across hedonic hunger groups, with women reporting lower levels of hedonic hunger demonstrating higher spouse support compared to those with higher hedonic hunger (p