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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0BMC Psychology

Latent profile analysis of postpartum depression symptoms and its associations with weight stigma and eating behaviors among postpartum women in China

  • Tian Xu1,2
  • Jiayuan Peng3
  • Xiangmin Tan4
  • Yuxian Huang5
  • Yuqing He6
  • Yi Zeng6
  • Jingfei Tang7
  • Rongzhi Li1
  • Lai Peng3
  • Yuan Zeng8
  • Mei Sun1
8 affiliations
  1. 1Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, 172 Tongzipo Road Yuelu district, Changsha, 410013 Hunan China
  2. 2The Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
  3. 3Xiangyin Campus of Xiangxing College, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Yueyang, China
  4. 4School of Rural Health, Monash University, 15 Sargeant Street, Warragul, Victoria 3820 Australia
  5. 5School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria Australia
  6. 6School of Nursing, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, China
  7. 7Department of Orthopedics, Movement System Injury and Repair Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
  8. 8The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, 116 Huanghe Road, Shaybak District, Urumqi, 830000 Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region China
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Abstract

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) represents a significant maternal health challenge with diverse symptom manifestations. Traditional analytical approaches that treat postpartum women as a homogeneous group may obscure distinct symptom patterns, limiting the development of targeted nursing interventions.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify distinct subgroups of Chinese postpartum women based on their depression symptom patterns using latent profile analysis, and to examine factors associated with subgroup membership, with particular focus on weight-related stigma and eating behaviors.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 507 postpartum women within one year of delivery between December 2021 and March 2022. Participants completed standardized measures including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Perceived Weight Stigma Questionnaire (PWSQ), Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS), and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted using the 10 EPDS items, with multinomial logistic regression employed to identify factors associated with profile membership.

Results: LPA revealed three distinct subgroups, characterized primarily by symptom severity: ‘low-level PPD’ (45.2%), ‘middle-level PPD’ (41.8%), and ‘high-level PPD’ (13.0%). Factors significantly associated with profile membership included perceived weight stigma, weight bias internalization, emotional eating, external eating, age, body mass index, and education level.

Conclusions: The identification of three distinct PPD profiles highlights the heterogeneity in depression symptom presentation among Chinese postpartum women. These findings support the adoption of person-centered assessment approaches in nursing practice. Screening for weight-related stigma and maladaptive eating behaviors may enhance early identification of high-risk women. The results provide empirical evidence for developing tailored nursing interventions that address profile-specific characteristics, offering a step toward precision in postpartum mental healthcare.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{xu2026latent,
  title = {{Latent profile analysis of postpartum depression symptoms and its associations with weight stigma and eating behaviors among postpartum women in China}},
  author = {Tian Xu and Jiayuan Peng and Xiangmin Tan and Yuxian Huang and Yuqing He and Yi Zeng and Jingfei Tang and Rongzhi Li and Lai Peng and Yuan Zeng and Mei Sun},
  journal = {BMC Psychology},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.1186/s40359-026-05303-w},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05303-w},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Latent profile analysis of postpartum depression symptoms and its associations with weight stigma and eating behaviors among postpartum women in China
AU  - Tian Xu
AU  - Jiayuan Peng
AU  - Xiangmin Tan
AU  - Yuxian Huang
AU  - Yuqing He
AU  - Yi Zeng
AU  - Jingfei Tang
AU  - Rongzhi Li
AU  - Lai Peng
AU  - Yuan Zeng
AU  - Mei Sun
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/11
JO  - BMC Psychology
DO  - 10.1186/s40359-026-05303-w
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05303-w
AB  - Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) represents a significant maternal health challenge with diverse symptom manifestations. Traditional analytical approaches that treat postpartum women as a homogeneous group may obscure distinct symptom patterns, limiting the development of targeted nursing interventions.  Objectives: This study aimed to identify distinct subgroups of Chinese postpartum women based on their depression symptom patterns using latent profile analysis, and to examine factors associated with subgroup membership, with particular focus on weight-related stigma and eating behaviors.  Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 507 postpartum women within one year of delivery between December 2021 and March 2022. Participants completed standardized measures including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Perceived Weight Stigma Questionnaire (PWSQ), Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS), and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted using the 10 EPDS items, with multinomial logistic regression employed to identify factors associated with profile membership.  Results: LPA revealed three distinct subgroups, characterized primarily by symptom severity: ‘low-level PPD’ (45.2%), ‘middle-level PPD’ (41.8%), and ‘high-level PPD’ (13.0%). Factors significantly associated with profile membership included perceived weight stigma, weight bias internalization, emotional eating, external eating, age, body mass index, and education level.  Conclusions: The identification of three distinct PPD profiles highlights the heterogeneity in depression symptom presentation among Chinese postpartum women. These findings support the adoption of person-centered assessment approaches in nursing practice. Screening for weight-related stigma and maladaptive eating behaviors may enhance early identification of high-risk women. The results provide empirical evidence for developing tailored nursing interventions that address profile-specific characteristics, offering a step toward precision in postpartum mental healthcare.
SN  - 2050-7283
ER  -