THE INTERPLAY OF BODY IMAGE AND ANXIETY DURING PRENATAL PERIOD

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between body image and anxiety in pregnant women and whether body image dissatisfaction predicts anxiety. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at government and private hospital and clinics in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan from March 2024 to April 2025. Methodology: A total of N = 262 pregnant women were recruited through purposive sampling technique. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing body image and anxiety. The following two reliable scales were used: The psychological distress scale for adults and the body image concerns during pregnancy scale. Demographic variables recorded included family system, age, education, trimester, hospital type, number of children and working status. Results: Data analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between body image dissatisfaction and anxiety. Regression analysis further showed that body image dissatisfaction significantly predicted anxiety (R² = 0.13, p < .001). In addition, multigravida women scored higher on anxiety (M = 35.19, p<.05) as compared to women from primigravida (M = 34.85, p<.05). Moreover, the slight decline in anxiety levels across trimesters. Results showed that women from 1^st trimester reported slightly higher anxiety (M = 35.50, p<.05) as compared to those in 2^nd (M = 34.70, p<.05) and 3^rd trimester (M = 34.65, p<.05). Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of treating body image concerns during prenatal care.