Abstract
Objective: This study explored the relationship between body appreciation and discontinuing contraception due to concern about weight gain.
Methods: A racially and ethnically diverse sample of women, from the United States, (n = 494) was recruited online. Binomial logistic regression was used for analysis.
Results: Participants with higher body appreciation were less likely to stop taking birth control due to concern about weight gain (OR = 0.56, p = .002). These results suggest body appreciation may be a defense against concern about weight gain associated with contraceptive use.
Conclusions: Interventions aimed at increasing women’s body appreciation, body positivity, as well as decreasing weight stigma could improve contraception use.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the Margaret W. Mangel Faculty Research Catalyst Fund for supporting this research through the University of Missouri.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.