Hedonic Hunger in Pregnancy: Links to Dietary Inflammation, Distress, and Partner Support

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between hedonic hunger, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and various psychological factors in pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2023 and March 2024 using face-to-face interviews on 123 pregnant women in Erzurum Province. The data collection form consisted of five parts: the socio-demographic form, “Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale (TPDS)”, “Power of Food Scale (PFS-Tr)”, “Spouse Support Scale”, and Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ). DII was calculated by using foods and nutrients derived from the SQ-FFQ data. Results: Of the participants, 61.8% were aged 25–34 years, and 30.9% were high school graduates. It was found that 78% of the pregnant women were overweight/obese, and 74.8% had hedonic hunger. There was a statistically significant negative relationship between DII and spouse support scores of pregnant women (r=-0.24, p=0.007). Significant differences were observed in spouse support scores across hedonic hunger groups, with women reporting lower levels of hedonic hunger demonstrating higher spouse support compared to those with higher hedonic hunger (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed for the first time in the literature that spousal support is associated with hedonic hunger and DII scores of pregnant women. Inadequate spousal support may lead to hedonic eating behavior and unhealthy nutrition. Understanding the interaction between dietary inflammatory potential and psychosocial factors is essential for developing preventive nutritional interventions aimed at protecting maternal and fetal health. These findings emphasize the importance of involving spouses in nutrition education programs for pregnant women.

Keywords

• Pregnancy
• hedonic hunger
• spousal support
• dietary inflammatory index

Project Number

TÜBİTAK 2209-A Üniversite Öğrencileri Araştırma Projeleri Destekleme Programı kapsamında (proje numarası: 1919B012309094)

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