A recent systematic review and meta-analysis published in "Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics" revealed a 4.3% prevalence of eating disorders in pregnant women, emphasizing the need to consider age, educational level, body mass index (BMI), etc. when designing interventions to address pathological feeding behaviors. The objective of the investigators was to uncover the prevalence of eating disorders in pregnancy and explore associated factors.

For a relevant literature search, databases including Ovid, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and PubMed were explored using the combined keywords "(eating disorders OR anorexia nervosa OR bulimia nervosa OR binge eating disorder) AND (pregnancy OR pregnant)". Two researchers independently extracted data from the selected articles using a standardized form, while the quality of the studies was assessed based on the evaluation criteria provided by the Joanna Briggs Institute.

In the 11 studies involving a total of 2,369,520 pregnant women, the prevalence of eating disorders ranged between 0.5% and 10.6%. The overall prevalence of eating disorders in pregnant women was found to be 4.3% (I2 = 99.5%). Notably, the occurrence of anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder showed a clinically meaningful elevation during pregnancy contrasted to the pre-pregnancy period, while the occurrence of bulimia nervosa declined.

Certain factors, such as being under 30 years of age, having a secondary school education, being married, and having a normal BMI, were associated with a higher prevalence of eating disorders in pregnant women. Among pregnant women with eating disorders, approximately half experienced anxiety, and around one-third reported depression. Additionally, a small proportion of pregnant women engaged in excessive exercise (0.7%), fasting (0.3%), using laxatives or diuretics (0.1%), or self-induced vomiting (0.6%).

The study holds significance as it sheds light on the worldwide prevalence of eating disorders in pregnant women, alongside associated factors. Maintaining regular screening protocols to identify eating disorders during pregnancy can play a crucial role in implementing targeted preventive measures for high-risk groups and safeguarding the health of both mother and child.