Body image issues in Lithuanian females before and during pregnancy.

ABSTRACT: There is a risk that during pregnancy a woman's changing physique might result in stronger concerns about her appearance and may lead to negative consequences both for mother and foetus. The aim of the present study was to assess women's self-esteem, body image and weight control before and during pregnancy. A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Centre of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Vilnius University Hospital. In total, 234 pregnant women were investigated. The Self-esteem was measured by Rosenberg's scale (1965), while the attitude towards the body size - by Stunkard's figure rating scale (1983). When rating their actual body size and the preferred body shape using Stunkard's figures, the investigated females chose, on average, 3.40 and 2.93 (respectively) size figures for the period before pregnancy (p < 0.05), while they picked 4.38 and 3.44 (respectively) figures during pregnancy (p < 0.05). Women's efforts not to gain weight during pregnancy were not determined by their opinion of their body size during pregnancy (rs(232) = 0.136,p > 0.05). Regardless of their body shape assessment during pregnancy, pregnant women did not restrict their diet (rs(232) = 0.064,p > 0.05). Conclusions: during pregnancy women assessed their weight gain adequately, pregnant women chose larger body sizes as an ideal physique if compared to the ones of the period before pregnancy, women's efforts not to gain weight during pregnancy were not determined by their body size perception during pregnancy, pregnant women, despite their body shape assessment during pregnancy, did not restrict their diet, i.e. pregnant women became psychologically adapted to their body changes during pregnancy, and the maternity became a much more important factor than the beauty ideals associated with slender figures.

[Changes in anthropometric and metabolic parameters in pregnancy and neonatal physical development during last decades]. / Nesciuju antropometriniu rodikliu, medziagu apykaitos ir naujagimiu fizines bukles pokyciai per pastaruosius desimtmecius.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in anthropometric and biochemical parameters in pregnancy and their dynamics during last two decades and to determine the association between anthropometric and biochemical parameters, their influence on fetal and neonatal development. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 1985-2005, anthropometric (height, body mass, weight gain during pregnancy, pelvic measurements, skinfold thicknesses, passive body mass) and biochemical (cholesterol, triglyceride, protein, and iron levels) parameters, their correlation, changes in pregnancy were examined; also the correlations between these parameters and neonatal body mass indices were evaluated. In 1986-1987, 383 pregnant women were examined, in 1998--130, and in 2003-2005--133. RESULTS: During 20 years, the height of examined women increased on an average of 2.5 cm; they became thinner; body mass index decreased. The body composition became similar to "cylinder" shape due to decreased thickness of adipose tissue in the limbs. The dimensions of bony pelvis--external conjugate and bicristal diameters--decreased. Primiparous women became older (1995--22.5 years of age, 2004--27.6). At the beginning of investigation, the weight gain was on an average of 21.9% of body mass before pregnancy (13.3 kg) and at the end--23.9% (14.2 kg). The values of anthropometric parameters vary in a consistent pattern during pregnancy: the lower body mass and body mass index at the beginning of pregnancy, the higher weight gain at the end of pregnancy. Blood serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and especially iron were decreased during the study. CONCLUSIONS: An inverse correlation between body mass index and lipid metabolism in pregnancy was revealed: the higher body mass index was at the beginning of pregnancy, the lower increase in lipid concentration was during pregnancy. At the beginning of investigation as well as after 20 years, women with low body mass index showed the most significant anthropometric and lipid metabolic changes in pregnancy.

Nesciuju ir jaunu negimdziusiu moteru krutu turio, kuno dydzio ir pasyviosios mases lyginamasis tyrimas.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BREAST VOLUME BODY SIZE AND PASSIVE BODY MASS IN PREGNANT AND YOUNG NULLIPAROUS WOMEN: The aim. To compare the relation between the changes in the body and breast size in pregnant and young nulliparous women. Materials and methods. In 2008-2009, 82 young nulliparous nineteen-year-old women were examined in Siauliai (Study I). Their body mass and breast size data were compared with the findings obtained from the examination of pregnant women during their first trimester in Vilnius from 2013 to 2015 (Study II). These findings involved longitudinal and transverse dimensions, the volume of various parts of the body, skin folds, breast dimensions, waist, hips, body mass indices, breast volume, and passive body mass. Both studies used standard anthropometric techniques and Martin instruments. The breast volume was calculated according to the formula of Kramer and Dexler (1981). The percentage of the passive body mass (fat tissue) were determined from the skin folds and the subcutaneous adipose tissue according to the formulae of Wilmore and Behnke (1970), and of Siri (1961). The differences between the groups were assessed by Student's t test. The selected reliability level was p < 0.05. Results. The following indicators were found to be statistically significantly higher in the group of pregnant women: chest, waist, hips, breast volume and the waist-hip index. The adipose tissue in pregnant women increased in the upper part of the body, although the relative and absolute passive body weight between the groups differed insignificantly. a comparison of the measurements of primiparous and multiparous young women with the measurements of the nulliparous subjects shows that the multiparous women had a larger amount of fat tissue, while in primiparous and young nulliparous women these indicators were not significantly different. Body size indices of the subgroups of pregnant women with small, medium, and large breasts were higher than those of the young nulliparous with similar measurements. The body size of lean women (below 25 percentile) was higher than that of young nulliparous women in the group of pregnant women. Differences in the body size indices of medium obese women (between 25 and 75 percentiles) were similar to the indicators of medium-sized female breasts in the group of pregnant women. The differences found in obese women (above 75 percentile) were similar to the indices recorded in the women of medium obesity. Conclusions. The passive body mass of pregnant women was accumulating in the upper part of the body. The body mass index in pregnant women was higher than that in nulliparous young women. Over the course of time (the age difference between the studied groups was ~10 years), the female body increases, the topography of the distribution of the adipose tissue changes. Pregnant women's breast volume was significantly higher than that of young nulliparous women. This phenomenon can be explained by pregnant women's higher passive body mass and older age. Keywords: anthropometry, passive body mass, pregnancy, breasts.

Trends in maternal health in Lithuania 1995-2014.

BACKGROUND: The Lithuanian Perinatology Program, orders issued by the Ministry of Health, regulating the care and treatment of mothers and their infants, and the well-running perinatal care system helped to improve the diagnostics and treatment of pregnancy pathology. Over the last 20 years, Lithuania has experienced significant improvements in the maternal and perinatal health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was collected from the official statistics database, Medical Data of Births, provided by the Institute of Hygiene Health Information Centre, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, and the Vilnius University Centre of Neonatology in 1995-2014. RESULTS: The average maternal age at delivery ranged from 25.8 years in 1995 to 28.8 years in 2014. The comparison of 2001 and 2014 data shows that the incidence of gestational diabetes increased by 6.7 times due to the improved diagnosis. The percentage of hypertensive disorders decreased from 6.1% in 1997 to 3.2% in 2014. Between 1995 and 2014, the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women declined by half. The marked decrease in respiratory, urinary, genital and other diseases was observed among pregnant women. From 1995 to 2014, in Lithuania there were 67 maternal deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth. Hemorrhage and infections during pregnancy, delivery and the postpartum period are considered the most common causes of maternal death.