Modelo teórico de insatisfação corporal para mulheres brasileiras no pós-parto

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction refers to discontent with one’s own image and physical appearance. The societal ideal of a thin body places unrealistic pressure on women's postpartum bodies, increasing the likelihood of body dissatisfaction during this period. A key theoretical framework for understanding sociocultural pressures on women's body image is the Tripartite Influence Model, which Lovering et al. (2018) adapted specifically for postpartum women. To date, no theoretical model has examined the relationship between sociocultural pressures, body dissatisfaction, and the development of risk behaviors for eating disorders among Brazilian postpartum women. Given this gap, the present study had two main objectives. The first objective was to conduct a systematic literature review to identify theoretical models on postpartum body image and analyze their association with relevant constructs using regression analysis. The second objective is to adapt and evaluate a sociocultural body image model for postpartum Brazilian women through a cross-sectional study with a quantitative design. The study surveyed Brazilian women up to 12 months postpartum from different regions. Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing sociodemographic factors and key variables, including parental, peer, media, and romantic partner influence; internalization; social comparison; body dissatisfaction; depression; anxiety; self-esteem; and risk behaviors for eating disorders. The proposed theoretical model was tested through Structural Equation Modeling. The thesis findings will be disseminated through two scientific articles. The first article identified three theoretical models and highlighted sociocultural influences, social support, and breastfeeding as key determinants of body dissatisfaction. Furthermore, regression analyses identified associations between body image and factors such as maternal weight, depression, type of delivery, sexual function, breastfeeding, and social support. The second article proposed a theoretical model that incorporated some of the previously identified variables, as well as other relevant dimensions highlighted in the literature. It is concluded that sociocultural pressures contribute to the development of body dissatisfaction, which emerges as a central factor in explaining the psychosocial outcomes investigated. This research is expected to contribute to the understanding of how sociocultural pressures may be related to the development of body dissatisfaction and the adoption of risk behaviors for eating disorders in Brazilian postpartum women, considering maternal mental health factors such as depressive symptoms, anxiety, and self-esteem.