Self-compassion and body image in pregnancy and postpartum: A randomized pilot trial of a brief self-compassion meditation intervention.
Natalie M Papini, Tyler B Mason, Stephen D Herrmann, Nanette V Lopez
Body image December 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.09.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 71 |
| Population | Pregnant and postpartum women recruited from a health coaching program |
| Intervention | Self-compassion meditation |
| Duration | 3-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Body appreciation Body image Maternal health Randomized controlled trial Self-compassion |
| Key findings | Compared with waitlist controls, women who completed the three-week self-compassion meditation intervention reported significantly reduced body shame and body dissatisfaction and improved body appreciation and self-compassion. The authors suggest the intervention has potential to improve body-image-related mental health outcomes. |
Abstract
The current study evaluated the efficacy of a three-week self-compassion (SC) meditation intervention in improving body image and SC during pregnancy and postpartum. Participants (n = 71; age = 31.92 ± 3.98 years; white = 61, 85.9%; intervention = 35, 49.3%; pregnant = 33, 46.5%; postpartum = 38, 53.5%) were recruited from a health coaching program and 35 were randomly assigned into a three-week SC meditation intervention while 36 were randomly assigned to a waitlist control condition. Linear regressions using full-information maximum likelihood estimation examined the effect of intervention group on body image and SC outcomes controlling for baseline level of outcome, pregnancy or postpartum status, previous meditation experience, and physical activity. Results indicated women in the intervention group reported significantly reduced body shame and body dissatisfaction and improved body appreciation and self-compassion compared to women in the control group. Implementation of a brief SC meditation intervention during pregnancy and postpartum has potential to improve mental health outcomes related to body image. Future work should replicate this study with a larger, more diverse sample of women.