Investigating the Role of Stress and Birth Related Trauma in Disordered Eating Among Postpartum Women

This thesis investigates the role of stress and birth-related trauma in disordered eating and body image perceptions among postpartum women. The aim of this thesis is to explore whether stress and traumatic birth experiences contribute to risk factors for disordered eating attitudes and body image issues during the postpartum period. Two studies were conducted: Study 1, a quantitative longitudinal study, examined the relationship between stress, negative eating attitudes, and body image in a community-based sample of 155 postpartum women in Aotearoa New Zealand. Study 2, a qualitative study, explored postpartum women's experiences of pregnancy and childbirth in relation to body image and eating attitudes. The results of Study 1 showed that stress at time 1 was significantly associated with negative eating attitudes and body image at time 2, with depression acting as a confounding variable in the relationship between stress and eating attitudes. Additionally, while birth trauma symptoms were linked to negative eating attitudes and body image, the presence of birth trauma itself was not. The results from the mediation analysis showed that depression mediated the relationship between stress and eating attitudes. In Study 2, qualitative themes showcased that women experienced worry about weight gain and societal pressure to lose weight post-birth, as well as challenges in navigating motherhood with limited preparation and external expectations. These findings suggest that stress, depression, and birth trauma are significant factors in shaping postpartum women’s eating behaviours and body image.