Body image at the crossroads of pregnancy: Links with anxiety and healthy lifestyle behaviours

Physiological and psychological changes during pregnancy can affect body image and anxiety. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between body image, anxiety, and healthy lifestyle behaviours across trimesters in 315 pregnant women in Türkiye. Data was collected by face-to-face surveys using Body Understanding Measure for Pregnancy Scale (BUMPs), Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Scale (PRAS), and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours in Pregnancy (HLBP). HLBP and PRAS scores were highest in the third and second trimesters, respectively ( p < 0.05). BUMPs score did not differ significantly between trimesters. BUMPs and PRAS scores were positively correlated in all trimesters, while HLBP scores were negatively correlated with both BUMPs and PRAS scores in the second and third trimesters. Regression analysis indicated that PRAS (β: 0.487, p < 0.001) and HLBP (β: −0.223, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with body image; explaining 36.2% of the variance. These findings suggest that nutritional and psychosocial factors may be relevant in understanding and supporting pregnant women.