Picky eating is associated with lower life satisfaction and elevated psychological distress, and psychosocial impairment in Chinese pregnant women
Abstract
Objective
This study assessed picky eating in pregnant women by exploring whether picky eating is associated with pregnant women’s well-being, including life satisfaction, psychological distress, and psychosocial impairment.
Method
Data collected were from 345 Chinese pregnant women (Mage = 29.95 years, SD = 5.58). Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to examine zero-order correlations between picky eating and well-being variables (i.e., life satisfaction, psychological distress, and psychosocial impairment). Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to examine the unique associations of picky eating with well-being variables, adjusting for demographic and pregnancy-related characteristics and thinness-oriented disordered eating.
Results
Picky eating was significantly and negatively correlated with life satisfaction (r = −.24, p < .001) and positively correlated with psychological distress (r = .37, p < .001) and psychosocial impairment (r = .50, p < .001). When adjusting for covariates and thinness-oriented disordered eating, picky eating was still significantly associated with lower life satisfaction, higher psychological distress, and higher psychosocial impairment.
Discussion
The findings suggest that picky eating may be a significant correlate of pregnant women’s poorer well-being. Future research with longitudinal designs is warranted to further examine the temporal associations between picky eating and pregnant women’s well-being.
Public Significance
Picky eating behaviors are poorly understood in pregnant women. Our results revealed that higher picky eating behaviors were associated with lower life satisfaction and higher psychological distress and psychosocial impairment in Chinese pregnant women. Researchers and clinicians may consider picky eating in the assessment and treatment of mental health and disordered eating in pregnant women.
HE Jinbo
Assistant Professor in Applied Psychology
My research interests include the mental health of children and adolescents, obesity, eating behaviors, eating disorders, body image, and various advanced quantitative research methods (e.g., structural equation modeling, latent growth curve modeling, finite mixture modeling, meta-analysis).
CUI Shuqi
PhD Student in Applied Psychology
CUI Shuqi (崔舒淇) is a PhD student in applied psychology under Prof. HE Jinbo’s supervision.
LIU Yutian
Current Undergraduate Advisee in Applied Psychology
ZHAO Yumeng
Current Undergraduate Advisee in Applied Psychology
YIN Junyu
Current Undergraduate Advisee in Applied Psychology
