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Experiences From Pregnancy and Post-partum Period in Women With a History of Eating Disorders.

Conditions
Eating Disorders
Bulimia Nervosa
Post Partum Depression
Binge-Eating Disorder
Pregnancy Related
Interventions
Other: Pregnancy
Other: Post-Partum
Registration Number
NCT04815044
Lead Sponsor
Ostfold University College
Brief Summary

Women with the eating disorder bulimia nervosa (BN) have been found to have a higher risk of unplanned pregnancies than healthy women, and experience greater miscarriage, premature birth, birth complications, and postpartum depression. Other studies have found that women with eating disorders seem to find motivation to refrain from the eating disordered behavior for the sake of the fetus, but that it is highly different whether this gives sustained or only a temporary remission.

Eating disorders are rarely detected in the primary health care service, nor during pregnancy or during follow-up in fertility clinics. Meeting a health care provider in the pregnancy care service who does not know about the eating disorder or who does not understand the disease well enough, can also make the management and experience of pregnancy and weight gain extra difficult.

The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge on how women with a history of eating disorder experience their bodily changes, and how they experience the health service in pregnancy care and post-partum period.

Detailed Description

Women with the eating disorder bulimia nervosa (BN) have been found to have a higher risk of unplanned pregnancies than healthy women, and experience greater miscarriage, premature birth, birth complications, and postpartum depression. Having a disorder in which the overevaluation of the need to control body weight and food intake is pertinent, may cause a tremendous mental challenge to accept the bodily change through a pregnancy. Other studies have found that women with eating disorders seem to find motivation to refrain from the eating disordered behavior for the sake of the fetus, but that it is highly different whether this gives sustained or only a temporary remission.

Eating disorders are rarely detected in the primary health care service, nor during pregnancy or during follow-up in fertility clinics. Meeting a health care provider in the pregnancy care service who does not know about the eating disorder or who does not understand the disease well enough, can also make the management and experience of pregnancy and weight gain extra difficult.

The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge on how women with a hisory of eating disorders experience bodily changes through pregnancy, and how the pregnancy care service is experienced. The purpose of this data collection is to help design preparatory information for women with eating disorders who become pregnant, and to promote best practice guidelines for the health service in the meeting with, and follow-up of, pregnant women with a history of eating disorders.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
32
Inclusion Criteria
  • previous participant in the PED-t project
  • previous/current diagnosis of bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder
  • has accepted to take part in the long-term follow up study in the PED-t project
  • has been/are pregnant
Exclusion Criteria
  • not matching the above criteria

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Women from the PED-t studyPregnancyWomen who participated in the PED-t study in 2016-2018 who report previous (or in future time) pregnancy.
Women from the PED-t studyPost-PartumWomen who participated in the PED-t study in 2016-2018 who report previous (or in future time) pregnancy.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Quality of prenatal careJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Questionnaire rating (Likert scale 0, don't agree - 5, totaly agree) different aspects in the prenatal care service

Experiences of bodily changes in pregnancy and post-partum periodJanuary 2021 - December 2026

What are the experiences of bodily changes in pregnancy and post-partum period in women with a history of eating disorders? (semistructured interviews)

Experiences with pregnancy health care- and post-partum serviceJanuary 2021 - December 2026

What are the experiences of pregnancy health care service in women with a history of eating disorders? (semistructured interviews)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Current symptoms of depressionJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Measuring current symptoms of depression at time of interview. Using the Beck Depression inventory.

Planning of pregnancyJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Number of pregnancy that was (un)planned, and whether the female was using hormonal contraceptives at time of conception.

Help in becoming pregnantJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Number of women in need of fertility assistance/treatment

Supplementation and drugs during pregnancyJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Number of women who regularly consumed tobacco/were smoking, drank alcohol, or used prescribed drugs during pregnancy

Frequency and type of pregnancy complicationJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Numbers experiences different pregnancy complications (chosing from a list of alternatives: abortion, bleedings, edema, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, pelvic pain)

Current symptoms of eating disordersJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Measuring current symptoms of eating disorders at time of interview. Using the eating disorder examination questionnaire by Fairburn.

Body weight during pregnancyJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Change in body weight during pregnancy

Blood pressure in pregnancyJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Change in blood pressure during pregnancy

Fetus heart rateJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Change in fetus heart rate during pregnancy

Symphysis measureJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Change in symphysis measure during pregnancy

Birth delivery methodJanuary 2021 - December 2026

Frequency of different birth delivery methods

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Therese Fostervold Mathisen

🇳🇴

Fredrikstad, Norway

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