News | Weight Discrimination During Pregnancy Affects Maternal and Infant Health; Researchers Propose a New Approach
People in larger bodies commonly face persistent and widespread stigma, including discrimination in workplaces, education, and healthcare. Weight stigma is especially prominent from preconception through pregnancy and postpartum because social expectations and standards concerning weight and pregnancy-related weight changes make it more common and harmful.
Monash University researchers have developed a model called **SWIPE (Stigma of Weight In the PPP Experience) to provide a framework for addressing weight stigma among women during preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum (collectively, PPP women). The study was co-led by Dr. Briony Hill and PhD candidate Ms. Haimanot Hailu** of Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and published in Health Psychology Review.
Multiple Effects of Weight Stigma
“PPP women may experience weight stigma in nearly every area of society, including fertility treatment, prenatal and postpartum healthcare, workplaces, education, media, public perceptions, other mothers or peers, and intimate relationships,” Dr. Hill said.
This stigma can have serious consequences, including psychological distress, avoidance of healthcare, reduced participation in healthy behaviors, and disordered eating, which may further worsen obesity.
The study found that weight stigma primarily arises from widespread social ideals of thinness, such as the belief that women must achieve an “ideal” body before they deserve to plan a pregnancy or should rapidly return to their prepregnancy weight after delivery. Some policies and social environments also unintentionally reinforce these behaviors and beliefs.
Why the SWIPE Model Matters
To address these issues, Dr. Hill's team developed the SWIPE model based on a systematic review. The model analyzes the causes of stigma and proposes interventions focused on:
Social expectations that PPP women meet thin-body ideals and rapidly regain their previous shape
The absence or inappropriate portrayal of women in larger bodies in media
Unwanted scrutiny and social exclusion directed at PPP women because of body size
The model also notes that race, socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI), and women's perceptions of their own weight can affect the extent of stigma they experience.
“The SWIPE model gives researchers and program developers a tool to identify and address weight stigma toward PPP women across society,” Ms. Hailu said.
A Comprehensive Strategy to Improve Mental and Physical Health
Eliminating weight stigma toward PPP women can directly improve their mental health, ensure equal access to healthcare, and encourage healthier lifestyles. Dr. Hill's team noted that this would benefit the overall mental and physical health of PPP women and their children.
News | Weight Discrimination During Pregnancy Affects Maternal and Infant Health; Researchers Propose a New Approach
News | Weight Discrimination During Pregnancy Affects Maternal and Infant Health; Researchers Propose a New Approach
People in larger bodies commonly face persistent and widespread stigma, including discrimination in workplaces, education, and healthcare. Weight stigma is especially prominent from preconception through pregnancy and postpartum because social expectations and standards concerning weight and pregnancy-related weight changes make it more common and harmful.
Monash University researchers have developed a model called **SWIPE (Stigma of Weight In the PPP Experience) to provide a framework for addressing weight stigma among women during preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum (collectively, PPP women). The study was co-led by Dr. Briony Hill and PhD candidate Ms. Haimanot Hailu** of Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and published in Health Psychology Review.
Multiple Effects of Weight Stigma
“PPP women may experience weight stigma in nearly every area of society, including fertility treatment, prenatal and postpartum healthcare, workplaces, education, media, public perceptions, other mothers or peers, and intimate relationships,” Dr. Hill said.
This stigma can have serious consequences, including psychological distress, avoidance of healthcare, reduced participation in healthy behaviors, and disordered eating, which may further worsen obesity.
The study found that weight stigma primarily arises from widespread social ideals of thinness, such as the belief that women must achieve an “ideal” body before they deserve to plan a pregnancy or should rapidly return to their prepregnancy weight after delivery. Some policies and social environments also unintentionally reinforce these behaviors and beliefs.
Why the SWIPE Model Matters
To address these issues, Dr. Hill's team developed the SWIPE model based on a systematic review. The model analyzes the causes of stigma and proposes interventions focused on:
Social expectations that PPP women meet thin-body ideals and rapidly regain their previous shape
The absence or inappropriate portrayal of women in larger bodies in media
Unwanted scrutiny and social exclusion directed at PPP women because of body size
The model also notes that race, socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI), and women's perceptions of their own weight can affect the extent of stigma they experience.
“The SWIPE model gives researchers and program developers a tool to identify and address weight stigma toward PPP women across society,” Ms. Hailu said.
A Comprehensive Strategy to Improve Mental and Physical Health
Eliminating weight stigma toward PPP women can directly improve their mental health, ensure equal access to healthcare, and encourage healthier lifestyles. Dr. Hill's team noted that this would benefit the overall mental and physical health of PPP women and their children.
Source:
Collected online