Comer intuitivo na gestação: avaliação de determinantes sociodemográficos, obstétricos, antropométrico, de imagem corporal e de comportamentos alimentares

Abstract

Women go through physiological and psychological changes during pregnancy. Intuitive eating is one of the dimensions of eating behavior and helps food choices to be based on internal signs of hunger and satiety. Previous studies demonstrate that this practice is related to good indicators of physical and mental health. Research that associates intuitive eating during pregnancy is sparse. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the sociodemographic, obstetric, anthropometric and body image characteristics associated with intuitive eating in the pregnant population and to investigate adherence to intuitive eating before and during pregnancy and possible associations between intuitive eating and the subscales with behaviors diet, body image and pre-gestational Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a cross-sectional study with pregnant women from Public Health Centers and private practices in the municipality of Lavras-MG, Brazil. This research is part of a longitudinal and prospective study in progress, called CAGESLACT - Assessment of Nutritional Status, Behavior and Feeding Practices in the phases of Gestation, Lactation and Food Introduction. For data collection, a sociodemographic / obstetric questionnaire. The Intuitive Eating Scale-2, the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire, the Mindful Eating Questionnaire and the Body Shape Questionnaire were self-administered and the anthropometric were collected from the woman’s pregnant medical records was used to calculate the pre- gestational BMI. The EPI INFO software was used for data entry and for statistical analysis, the R software. A total of 189 pregnant women in the different gestational trimesters were evaluated. Multiple logistic regression models showed that external factors influence intuitive eating. Women with black/brown skin color were more likely to eat intuitively (OR = 3.728; p = <0.001) and women served by by the public health system were less likely (OR = 0.249; p = 0.002) to eat respecting their hunger and satiety. And the scores for the total score of intuitive eating and the subscales Reliance on Hunger and Satiety Cues and Body–Food Choice Congruence were higher in the gestational period (p <0.01) when compared to the period prior to pregnancy. In addition, the results showed that women with adherence to intuitive eating were less likely to eat for emotional reasons and more likely to eat mindfully, before and during pregnancy. Intuitive eating is associated with positive eating behaviors in the sample studied. Interventions during pregnancy should consider eating behavior, including intuitive eating to offer maternal and child health benefits.