Incidence and demographic correlates of eating disorder symptoms in a pregnant population.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain a picture of eating disorder symptoms in a population of pregnant women. METHOD: Five hundred thirty women attending antenatal follow-up clinics at a large London district general hospital during a 4-week period were surveyed. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and a demographic questionnaire were administered. Unadjusted relative risks and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated for a series of prognostic factors. RESULTS: 4.9% of women scored above the recommended threshold on the EAT in pregnancy. Eating disorder symptomatology was found to be associated with younger age, previous symptomatology, lower educational attainment, poorer housing, employment status, and previous miscarriage. DISCUSSION: The meaning and potential implications of high levels of eating disorder symptomatology in a pregnant population are discussed in the light of the physiological and psychological effects of eating disorders on both pregnancy outcome and infant development.