A Descriptive Study of the Correlation Between Postpartum Depression and Body Image Dissatisfaction, Self-objectification, and Social Media Appearance Comparison

The goal of this observational study is to assess the prevalence of postpartum depression and analyze its relationship with body image dissatisfaction, self-objectification, and social media appearance comparison in postpartum women seeking care at the Obstetrics Department.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

What is the current status of postpartum depression, body image dissatisfaction, and self-objectification in this population? How do body image dissatisfaction, self-objectification, and appearance-related social media comparison correlate with postpartum depression? Participants will answer online survey questions about their psychological status and social media usage.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Postpartum Depression

Detailed Description

This cross-sectional study will be conducted using a questionnaire survey methodology. A self-designed general information questionnaire will be administered to collect and describe the demographic characteristics and obstetric information of the postpartum population at baseline. Furthermore, a series of standardized instruments will be utilized to assess specific psychological and behavioral variables among the participants:

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to evaluate postpartum depressive status; The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) to measure the degree of body image dissatisfaction; The Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) to evaluate the level of self-objectification; The Social Networking Sites Appearance Comparison Scale (SNSACS) to assess appearance comparison behaviors on social media; The Social Networking Site Intensity Scale (FBI) to determine the intensity of social media usage; The Upward Physical Appearance Comparison Scale (UPACS) to evaluate the extent of upward physical appearance comparisons.

Finally, this study will further analyze the correlations among postpartum body image dissatisfaction, self-objectification, appearance comparison on social media, and postpartum depression.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 385

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: XUE WANG, bachelor; Phone Number: +8613640902170; Email: 1159249608@qq.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

puerperae from 4 weeks to 12 months postpartum

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Aged ≥ 18 years;
2. Between 4 weeks and 12 months postpartum;
3. Able to read and comprehend the Chinese questionnaire, and capable of using a smartphone;
4. Voluntary participation in the study with a signed written informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. A confirmed pre-pregnancy diagnosis of psychiatric disorders or intellectual disabilities, preventing normal communication;
2. Diagnosed with depression during pregnancy or the postpartum period, and currently receiving pharmacological or psychological therapy;
3. Experiencing severe pregnancy or postpartum complications with an unstable clinical condition, rendering the participant unable to complete the questionnaire;
4. Having a newborn with congenital malformations or severe medical conditions;
5. Having experienced major stressful life events within the past 4 to 6 weeks (e.g., perinatal fetal death, or the death of an immediate family member).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
postpartum depression	Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, EPDS The scale consists of 10 items rated on a 4-point scale ranging from 0 (never) to 3 (always), with a total score ranging from 0 to 30. Higher scores indicate greater severity of postpartum depression.	from 4 weeks to 12 months postpartum

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
body image dissatisfaction	Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) This multidimensional scale consists of 52 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Each subscale is scored independently, with lower scores indicating lower levels of body image satisfaction.	from 4 weeks to 12 months postpartum
self-objectification	Objectified Body Consciousness Scale （OBCS） The Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) consists of 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The scale comprises three subscales: (1) the Body Surveillance subscale (8 items, score range: 8-40), which measures the tendency of individuals to monitor their physical appearance; (2) the Body Shame subscale (8 items, score range: 8-40), which assesses the feelings of shame experienced when one's body fails to meet sociocultural standards; and (3) the Appearance Control Beliefs subscale (4 items, score range: 4-20), which evaluates the degree to which individuals believe they can control their physical appearance. Higher scores on each subscale indicate a greater level of objectified body consciousness in that respective dimension.	from 4 weeks to 12 months postpartum
appearance comparison behaviors on social media	Social Networking Site Appearance Comparison Scale, SNSACS This scale consists of 3 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with total scores ranging from 3 to 15. Higher scores indicate a greater tendency for body image comparison on social networking sites.	from 4 weeks to 12 months postpartum
the intensity of social media usage	The Facebook Intensity Scale,FBI The scale consists of 8 items. The first two items assess the number of friends an individual has on social media and their average daily time spent on these platforms. The remaining six items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with scores for this section ranging from 6 to 30. Higher scores on these six items indicate a greater intensity of social media use.	from 4 weeks to 12 months postpartum
Upward Appearance Comparison	Upward Physical Appearance Comparisons Scale,UPACS This scale consists of 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with total scores ranging from 10 to 50. Higher scores indicate a greater tendency to engage in upward appearance comparison	from 4 weeks to 12 months postpartum

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Sun Yat-sen University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 28, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 7, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 20, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 22, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 20, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Postpartum Depression; Body Image Dissatisfaction; Self-Objectification; Social Media Appearance Comparison
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Mental Disorders; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Complications; Mood Disorders; Puerperal Disorders; Depressive Disorder; Depression, Postpartum
• Other Study ID Numbers: AF-LLPJ-20251230-07

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: all IPD collected throughout the trial

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No