“It’s Just Not Very Realistic”: Perceptions of Media Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Keywords

Pregnancy and body image, media, body image, perception from media

Abstract

Although research has documented a connection between media and body image for women, little research has explored this connection among pregnant or postpartum women. The purpose of this study was to explore women’s perceptions of media and body image during the perinatal period. Fredrickson’s objectification theory provided a theoretical framework for the study. Data collection involved semi-structured in-depth interviews with 50 pregnant or postpartum women in which they were asked to describe their perceptions of media depictions of pregnant or postpartum women and its impact on their body image. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Four major themes emerged: (1) participants questioned the realism of media depictions of pregnant and postpartum women, (2) participants described complex reactions to media messages including negative impacts on body image and strategies for mitigating negative impacts, (3) participants desired changes in media messages to be more realistic and to depict a more complex portrayal of the life stage, and (4) participants discussed the unique and complex role of social media including both negative and positive impacts. Implications of the findings for pregnant and postpartum women, communication scholars, and healthcare professionals are discussed.

Original Publication Citation

Liechty, T. Coyne, S. M., *Collier, K. M., & *Sharp, A. D. (2018). “It’s just not very realistic”: Perceptions of media among pregnant and postpartum women. Health Communication33, 851-859.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2017-05-03

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/5157

Publisher

Journal of Health Communication

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

Link to Full Text

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