Romantic attachment, infertility-related stress, and positive body image of women dealing with infertility

Vincenzo Calvo; Chiara Fusco; Camilla Pellicelli; Chiara Masaro

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1067970

Romantic attachment, infertility-related stress, and positive body image of women dealing with infertility

Front Psychol. 2023 Jan 6:13:1067970. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1067970. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Vincenzo Calvo¹, Chiara Fusco², Camilla Pellicelli¹, Chiara Masaro¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
² Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: Infertility is a condition that can affect the physical, emotional, social, and relational well-being of women. Women's bodies seem to assume a crucial relevance as part of the experience of infertility and its treatments. An extended body of literature supports the role of romantic attachment orientations in facing infertility-related stress. However, the association between romantic attachment orientations, infertility-related stress, and women's body image has not been explored.

Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the role of romantic attachment and infertility-related stress concerning positive body image in 113 women dealing with infertility. Data were analyzed with correlation and mediation path analyses.

Results: Results showed that high levels of attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and infertility-related stress were negatively associated with positive body image. Path analyses indicated that positive body image may be directly associated with romantic attachment anxiety. The negative association of attachment avoidance with body image appeared to be mediated by infertility-related stress.

Discussion: Findings suggest that romantic attachment insecurities and infertility-related stress are significantly associated with a worsened body image in infertile women. Implications for future research are discussed.

Keywords: infertility; infertility-related stress; medically assisted reproduction (MAR); positive body image; romantic attachment.