Nolen, E, Siegel, JA, Pownall, M orcid.org/0000-0002-3734-8006 et al. (2 more authors) (2022) “I feel more protective over my body:” A brief report on pregnant women’s embodied experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Body Image, 42. pp. 197-204. ISSN 1740-1445
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the experiences of pregnant people. For example, the pandemic has disrupted access to healthcare, social distancing has reduced social support, and vaccine rollout has led to safety concerns. Consistent with the Developmental Theory of Embodiment, which posits that our experiences of our bodies are influenced by social factors, studies have revealed an uptick in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating during this time. However, research on pregnant people’s experiences of their body and body image during the pandemic has been largely overlooked. In this exploratory qualitative study, we aimed to broadly understand how the pandemic and quarantine have impacted the way pregnant women (N = 190) in the US and UK relate to their bodies. We used Consensual Qualitative Research-Modified (CQR-M) to analyze pregnant women’s brief textual accounts of their embodied experiences during the pandemic and identified eight core domains across the dataset. Some participants reported no change in their embodied experiences, whereas others reported accounts of appearance and weight concerns, health behavior self-judgment, gratitude for isolation, body appreciation, maternal healthcare concerns, COVID health concerns, and health and safety strategies. We conclude with implications and recommendations for supporting pregnant people and their embodied well-being during health crises.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). |
Keywords: | Embodiment; Body image; Pregnancy; COVID-19, Coronavirus, healthcare |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Psychology (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 02 Aug 2022 09:49 |
Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2022 09:49 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.06.007 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:189543 |