Researchers studied 733 pregnant women in Beijing to understand why some make unhealthy eating choices during pregnancy. They found that a woman’s feelings, confidence in her ability to eat well, and her surroundings all play important roles. Women who felt more positive and confident about their food choices were more likely to eat balanced meals. Those who felt less confident or had unhealthy food options around them were more likely to snack on unhealthy foods. The study suggests that helping pregnant women feel more confident and managing their emotions could help them eat better for their health and their baby’s health.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: What makes pregnant women in China choose unhealthy snacks instead of balanced meals, and how their feelings, confidence, and surroundings affect their food choices.
  • Who participated: 733 pregnant women from a hospital in Beijing, China, who answered questions about their eating habits and feelings between May 2023 and June 2024.
  • Key finding: Women with stronger positive feelings and more confidence in their ability to eat well were much less likely to eat unhealthy snacks. Women with less confidence or more unhealthy food options nearby were more likely to snack unhealthily.
  • What it means for you: If you’re pregnant, building confidence in your food choices and managing stress may help you eat healthier. This is especially important because good nutrition during pregnancy helps both you and your baby. However, this study shows what’s true for Chinese women—your situation may be different.

The Research Details

Researchers asked 733 pregnant women in Beijing to fill out a detailed questionnaire about what they eat and how they feel about food choices. The questionnaire measured three main things: their attitudes toward healthy eating, their confidence in making good food choices, and their surroundings (like whether healthy food was available). The researchers then used statistical tools to find patterns in the data and understand which factors were most important in predicting unhealthy eating habits.

The study identified three different eating patterns among the women: balanced diets (eating a variety of healthy foods), unhealthy snacking (eating too many processed snacks), and healthy snacking (eating nutritious snacks). The researchers compared women in each group to see what was different about their feelings, confidence levels, and environments.

This type of study is called a ‘snapshot’ study because it captures information at one point in time rather than following people over months or years. This helps researchers quickly identify patterns but doesn’t prove that one thing directly causes another.

Understanding what influences pregnant women’s food choices is crucial because poor nutrition during pregnancy can harm both the mother and the developing baby. By identifying the specific factors that lead to unhealthy eating—like low confidence or stressful surroundings—doctors and health programs can create better support systems. This research uses a well-established theory (Theory of Planned Behavior) that has successfully explained health behaviors in many populations, making the findings more reliable.

This study has several strengths: it included a large number of women (733), used validated questionnaires to measure attitudes and behaviors, and applied appropriate statistical methods. However, because it’s a snapshot study rather than following women over time, it can show relationships between factors but not prove one causes the other. The study was also conducted in one hospital in Beijing, so results may not apply to all pregnant women in China or other countries. Additionally, the study relied on women’s self-reported answers, which can sometimes be inaccurate.

What the Results Show

The most important finding was that pregnant women’s confidence in their ability to make healthy food choices was strongly protective against unhealthy snacking. Women who felt more confident were about 44% less likely to eat unhealthy snacks and more likely to eat balanced meals. Similarly, women who reported more positive emotions and feelings were significantly less likely to choose unhealthy snacks.

On the flip side, women who had more unhealthy food options in their environment (like easy access to processed snacks) were 55% more likely to eat unhealthy snacks. This suggests that the physical environment around pregnant women matters a lot—if junk food is readily available, they’re more likely to eat it.

When researchers ranked which factors were most important, positive emotions came first, followed by confidence in food choices, then age, and finally pre-pregnancy weight. This ranking helps identify where interventions should focus.

The study also found that these patterns held true even after accounting for other factors like age, education level, number of previous pregnancies, and pre-pregnancy weight, suggesting these emotional and environmental factors are genuinely important independent influences.

The research identified three distinct eating patterns among pregnant women: a balanced diet pattern (eating varied, nutritious foods), an unhealthy snack pattern (eating processed, high-fat snacks), and a healthy snack pattern (eating nutritious snacks). Women weren’t equally distributed across these patterns, suggesting that interventions might need to address different groups differently. The study also found that age and pre-pregnancy weight played roles in dietary choices, though they were less important than emotional and confidence factors.

This study aligns with previous research showing that confidence in one’s ability to make healthy choices (called ‘self-efficacy’) is one of the strongest predictors of actual healthy behavior. The finding that emotions matter is also consistent with other studies showing that stress and negative feelings often lead to unhealthy eating. However, this is one of the first studies to specifically examine these factors in pregnant Chinese women, so it adds important cultural context to what we already know.

The study has several important limitations. First, it only included women from one hospital in Beijing, so the findings may not apply to pregnant women in rural areas or other parts of China. Second, because it’s a snapshot study, we can’t be sure whether low confidence causes unhealthy eating or if unhealthy eating leads to lower confidence—the direction of the relationship isn’t clear. Third, the study relied on women’s own reports of what they eat, which can be inaccurate due to memory problems or wanting to appear healthier. Finally, the study didn’t measure actual nutritional intake with precision, so we don’t know exactly how much nutrition was missing.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, pregnant women should focus on building confidence in their food choices through education about nutrition and label reading (moderate confidence level). Working to manage stress and maintain positive emotions may also help with healthy eating (moderate confidence level). Creating an environment with easy access to healthy foods and limiting unhealthy options is important (moderate-to-high confidence level). Healthcare providers should consider offering counseling or support groups focused on building confidence and managing emotions during pregnancy (moderate confidence level).

This research is most relevant to pregnant women in China and similar cultural contexts, healthcare providers working with pregnant women, and public health officials designing nutrition programs for pregnancy. The findings may also apply to pregnant women in other countries, though cultural differences in food availability and attitudes might change how applicable the results are. Women who are planning to become pregnant might also benefit from building confidence in healthy eating habits beforehand.

Changes in eating habits typically take 2-4 weeks to establish as new patterns. However, building genuine confidence and managing emotions may take longer—usually 4-8 weeks of consistent effort. Pregnant women should expect gradual improvements rather than overnight changes. The benefits to the baby’s development may not be obvious until after birth, when healthier birth weight and development markers may be observed.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily mood/emotion levels (1-10 scale) alongside snack choices. Note which emotions correlate with unhealthy snacking versus balanced meals. This helps identify emotional triggers and builds awareness of the emotion-eating connection.
  • Use the app to set daily confidence-building goals like ‘read one food label today’ or ‘plan one balanced meal.’ Start with small, achievable goals to build confidence gradually. Log successful healthy choices to reinforce positive emotions and self-efficacy.
  • Weekly review of the emotion-eating patterns to identify trends. Monthly assessment of confidence levels in specific areas (reading labels, choosing healthy snacks, meal planning). Track environmental factors like access to healthy foods and identify barriers that need problem-solving.

This research describes patterns observed in pregnant women in China and should not be considered medical advice. Pregnant women should consult with their healthcare provider or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to their diet. Individual nutritional needs during pregnancy vary based on health status, pre-pregnancy weight, and other factors. This study shows associations between factors and eating patterns but does not prove causation. Results may not apply to all pregnant women or all populations. Always seek personalized medical guidance for pregnancy nutrition.