Eating Disorders and Disturbed Eating Behaviors Underlying Body Weight Differences in Patients Affected by Endometriosis: Preliminary Results from an Italian Cross-Sectional Study.

This study aimed to characterize the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs), disturbed eating behaviors (DEBs), and emotional eating attitudes (EEAs) among patients affected by endometriosis in order to understand a potential crosslink between this impacting gynecological disease and a Body Mass Index shift. A total of 30 patients were recruited at an endometriosis outpatient clinic in Bologna and were assessed by using standardized instruments and specific questionnaires for EDs, DEBs, and EEAs. Sociodemographic information and endometriosis clinical features and history information were collected by adopting a specific questionnaire. Retrospective reports of lifetime Body Mass Index (BMI) changes, current BMI, peak pain severity during the last menstrual period, and the average of pain intensity during the last intermenstrual period were used for a correlation with the mean score from eating-behavior scales' assessment. The preliminary results indicate that, although only 3.33% of endometriosis patients are affected by ED, statistically significant differences at the mean scores of DEBs and EEAs assessment scales were found by stratifying patients on the basis of BMI levels at risk for infertility and coronary heart disease and on the basis of moderate/severe pain levels. The enrichment of the sample size and the recruitment of the control group to complete the study enrollment will allow us to investigate more complex and strong correlation findings and to assess the prevalence of EDs among endometriosis patients.

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 among Women Accessing Family Care Centers during Pregnancy and the Postnatal Period in Italy.

There has been concern about the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on women's mental health during the perinatal period. We conducted a cross-sectional web-based study aimed at evaluating the psychological impact (BSI-18) of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population and collecting information on the perinatal experiences (COPE-IS) during the second Italian wave. Overall, 1168 pregnant women, and 940 within the first six months after childbirth, were recruited in selected Italian Family Care Centers from October 2020 to May 2021. The prevalence of psychological distress symptoms during pregnancy was 12.1% and 9.3% in the postnatal group. Financial difficulties, a previous mood or anxiety disorder and lack of perceived social support and of support provided by health professionals were associated to psychological distress symptoms in both groups. A third of the women felt unsupported by their social network; 61.7% of the pregnant women experienced changes in antenatal care; 21.2% of those in the postnatal period gave birth alone; more than 80% of the participants identified access to medical and mental health care and self-help as important resources in the present context. Health services should assure enhanced support to the most vulnerable women who face the perinatal period during the pandemic.