Experiences From Pregnancy and Post-partum Period in Women With a History of Eating Disorders.

NCT04815044 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 120532
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 28
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Women with the eating disorder bulimia nervosa (BN) have been found to have a higher risk of unplanned pregnancies than healthy women, and experience greater miscarriage, premature birth, birth complications, and postpartum depression. Other studies have found that women with eating disorders seem to find motivation to refrain from the eating disordered behavior for the sake of the fetus, but that it is highly different whether this gives sustained or only a temporary remission. Eating disorders are rarely detected in the primary health care service, nor during pregnancy or during follow-up in fertility clinics. Meeting a health care provider in the pregnancy care service who does not know about the eating disorder or who does not understand the disease well enough, can also make the management and experience of pregnancy and weight gain extra difficult. The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge on how women with a history of eating disorder experience their bodily changes, and how they experience the health service in pregnancy care and post-partum period.

Conditions

Pregnancy Related; Eating Disorders; Bulimia Nervosa; Binge-Eating Disorder; Post Partum Depression

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Experiences of bodily changes in pregnancy and post-partum period

  What are the experiences of bodily changes in pregnancy and post-partum period in women with a history of eating disorders? (semistructured interviews)

  January 2021 - December 2026

• Experiences with pregnancy health care- and post-partum service

  What are the experiences of pregnancy health care service in women with a history of eating disorders? (semistructured interviews)

  January 2021 - December 2026

• Quality of prenatal care

  Questionnaire rating (Likert scale 0, don't agree - 5, totaly agree) different aspects in the prenatal care service

  January 2021 - December 2026

Secondary Outcomes (11)

• Current symptoms of eating disorders

  January 2021 - December 2026

• Current symptoms of depression

  January 2021 - December 2026

• Planning of pregnancy

  January 2021 - December 2026

• Help in becoming pregnant

  January 2021 - December 2026

• Supplementation and drugs during pregnancy

  January 2021 - December 2026

Other Outcomes (3)

• Exercise in pregnancy, frequency

  January 2021 - December 2026

• Exercise in pregnancy, intensity

  January 2021 - December 2026

• Exercise in pregnancy, activity type

  January 2021 - December 2026

Study Arms (1)

Women from the PED-t study

Women who participated in the PED-t study in 2016-2018 who report previous (or in future time) pregnancy.

Other: Pregnancy; Other: Post-Partum

Interventions

Pregnancy OTHER

Experiences from being pregnant when having a history of eating disorder

Women from the PED-t study

Post-Partum OTHER

Experiences from the post-partum period when having a history of eating disorder

Women from the PED-t study

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 50 Years
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Qualifying women are those who during 2016-2018 participated in the treatment project "PED-t", in which women with bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder received PED-t or cogntive behavior therapy as treatment for their eating disorder.

You may qualify if:

• previous participant in the PED-t project
• previous/current diagnosis of bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder
• has accepted to take part in the long-term follow up study in the PED-t project
• has been/are pregnant

You may not qualify if:

• not matching the above criteria

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ostfold University College: lead
• Norwegian School of Sport Sciences: collaborator
• University of Tromso: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Therese Fostervold Mathisen

Fredrikstad, Fredrikstad, 1671, Norway

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Feeding and Eating Disorders; Bulimia Nervosa; Binge-Eating Disorder; Depression, Postpartum

Interventions

Pregnancy; Postpartum Period

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Puerperal Disorders; Pregnancy Complications; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urogenital Diseases; Depressive Disorder; Mood Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Reproduction; Reproductive Physiological Phenomena; Reproductive and Urinary Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Therese F Mathisen, PhD

  Østfold University College

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 22, 2021
• First Posted: March 24, 2021
• Study Start: December 1, 2020
• Primary Completion: April 8, 2025
• Study Completion: April 8, 2025
• Last Updated: September 12, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

NO (1)