Obesity and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum: A systematic review

Background: Obesity and anxiety during Lhe perinatal period are common and associated with poor health outcomes for the mother and the child. Despite the well-documented health risks of both pregnancy obesity and anxiety, associations between the two have rarely been explored. With this review we aim to provide a systematic overview of the current state of evidence concerning associations between ante- and postnatal anxiety and pregnancy obesity, excessive gestational weight gain, and postpartum weight retention. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, and PsychINFO. Results: 13 Records matched our inclusion criteria. Five out of seven studies focusing on pregnancy obesity and anxiety suggest a positive association with ante- or postnatal anxiety. Surprisingly, no study examined anxiety disorders according to DSM and it remains unknown whether anxiety symptomaLology reaches clinical relevance. Results from a small number of life-style intervention studies (n=3) suggest that interventions could benefit from a stronger focus on mental health. There were not enough studies on associations between excessive gestational weight gain (n=2) or postpartum weight retention (n =3) and anxiety making it difficult to draw conclusions about possible associations. Limitation: The number of included studies is rather small and studies were included irrespective of the study quality which might limit the generalizability of the results. Conclusions: The majority of the included studies suggest that obese pregnant women might constitute a subgroup that is especially vulnerable for comorbid anxiety and in need of targeted psychological support. However, further high-quality studies, particularly including anxiety disorders, are needed. (C) 2015 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.