Soumaya ELAREM, MD
dr
taher sfar hospital
mahdia, Al Mahdia, Tunisia
amina karker, MD
dr
taher sfar hospital
mahdia, Al Mahdia, Tunisia
Ikram Haddada, dr
dr
taher sfar hospital
mahdia, Al Mahdia, Tunisia
Aymen haj Salah, MD
dr
taher sfar hospital
mahdia, Al Mahdia, Tunisia
Hela Dahmeni, MD
dr
taher sfar hospital
mahdia, Al Mahdia, Tunisia
Mouna Sghir, MD
dr
taher sfar hospital
mahdia, Al Mahdia, Tunisia
Wassia Kessomtini, MD
dr
taher sfar hospital
mahdia, Al Mahdia, Tunisia
The gestation period brings about a series of significant bodily transformations in women, marked by rapid changes likely to increase their vulnerability and influence their perception of their own bodies as well as their self-esteem.
The aim of this study was to assess the influence of pregnancy on women's self-esteem.
Design:
We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of pregnant women who had consulted as part of the prenatal follow-up of their pregnancy. We assessed pregnancy term and sexuality using a structured questionnaire. Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale.
Results:
Sixty-six patients were included in the study, with an average age of 31.77 ± 5.42 years. The majority of patients were multiparous (mean 3 gestations) and had undergone a mean of 0.52 ± 0.99 abortions. Nineteen parturients (28.8%) were obese and 48.5% overweight, with a mean body mass index of 27.32 ± 3.84 kg/cm2. Sixty-four percent of participants expressed a positive appreciation of their bodies, while 53% considered themselves attractive. Twelve pregnant women (18.2%) had low self-esteem, while 68.2% had strong to very strong self-esteem, with a mean overall score of 35.63 ± 4.05. Urinary disorders (p = 0.009), the presence of threat (p = 0.05), as well as gravidic vomiting (p = 0.029) were associated with low self-esteem.
Conclusions:
Women's concerns about changes to their bodies during pregnancy should be taken into consideration by healthcare professionals, given their impact on their self-esteem.
