Narcissistic Personality Traits and Social Appearance Anxiety in Pregnant Women: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study

Narcissistic Personality Traits and Social Appearance Anxiety in Pregnant Women: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Narcissistic Personality Traits and Social Appearance Anxiety in Pregnant Women: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study Ahmet Salim Özkaya, Mehtap Kızılkaya This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9172132/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationship between narcissistic personality traits and social appearance anxiety in pregnant women and to identify associated sociodemographic and pregnancy-related factors. Design and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. The sample consisted of 370 pregnant women who attended the obstetrics outpatient clinics of Aydin Maternity and Children's Hospital between November 2022 and February 2023. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire including a sociodemographic form, the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI). Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, ANOVA, Spearman correlations, and linear regression analyses were used for data analysis. Findings: Women with four or more pregnancies had significantly higher SAAS scores compared to those with fewer pregnancies. Participants who shared photos during pregnancy had higher NPI scores than those who did not. Women who perceived themselves as "neither beautiful nor ugly" reported higher social appearance anxiety compared to those who saw themselves as beautiful. Additionally, women who had maternity photoshoots had significantly lower SAAS scores. Practice Implications: These findings suggest the relevance of integrating mental health screening, including personality traits and appearance-related concerns, into antenatal care. Healthcare professionals should consider sociodemographic and psychosocial factors when planning prenatal interventions. Pregnancy Narcissistic Personality Traits Social Appearance Anxiety Maternal Mental Health Prenatal Psychology 1. Introduction Pregnancy is a unique and transformative period characterized by significant physical, emotional, and psychological changes. For many women, this process can heighten self-awareness and body consciousness, sometimes resulting in increased psychological vulnerability (Duncombe et al., 2008 ). Among the psychosocial issues observed during pregnancy, changes in body image and social appearance anxiety are particularly prominent (Potur, 2003 ; Smith & Hulsey, 2008 ). These factors can be exacerbated by the complex interplay of hormonal fluctuations, social expectations, and internalized body ideals, especially within cultures influenced by media representations of beauty (Levinson & Rodebaugh, 2012 ). Narcissistic personality traits, ranging from healthy self-esteem to pathological grandiosity, may also play a significant role in how pregnant women experience bodily changes. While normal narcissism may serve adaptive functions such as resilience and confidence, pathological narcissism can be associated with interpersonal difficulties and heightened vulnerability to external validation (Rozenblatt, 2002 ; Raskin & Terry, 1988). The intersection of narcissistic traits and appearance anxiety in pregnancy has received limited attention in mental health literature. Understanding this relationship is crucial for informing holistic maternal care. This study, therefore, aims to explore the association between narcissistic personality traits and social appearance anxiety in a sample of pregnant women, and to identify relevant sociodemographic and obstetric predictors. 2. Methods Design and Participants: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2022 and February 2023 at the obstetrics outpatient clinics of Aydin Maternity and Children’s Hospital. The study population consisted of pregnant women who presented for routine prenatal care. Using a convenience sampling method, 370 women who met the inclusion criteria participated voluntarily. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Inclusion criteria were: being pregnant, aged 18 years or older, able to speak and understand Turkish, and providing informed consent. Exclusion criteria included psychiatric diagnoses prior to pregnancy or any current psychiatric treatment. Data Collection Instruments: Data were collected through a self-report survey including three sections: (1) A sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics form developed by the researchers, (2) The Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), developed by Hart et al. ( 2008 ), validated in Turkish by Doğan (2010), which measures anxiety regarding appearance, and (3) The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), developed by Raskin and Hall (1979), adapted to Turkish by Atay ( 2009 ). Procedure: Participants were informed about the purpose of the study and provided written informed consent. Data collection was conducted in a private setting at the hospital by the primary researcher. Ethical Considerations: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Aydın Adnan Menderes University (Approval Date: October 2022, No: 2022/174) and institutional permission was obtained from the hospital. Participation was voluntary and confidentiality was ensured throughout the study. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25.0. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequencies) were calculated. Independent sample t-tests and ANOVA were used to compare group means. Spearman's rank correlation assessed relationships between continuous variables, and linear regression was used to identify predictors of social appearance anxiety and narcissistic traits. 3. Results The mean age of participants was 28.6 ± 5.1 years. Most were in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Approximately 52% had high school or lower education, and 60% were unemployed. (Table 1 ) Table 1 Distribution of Selected Sociodemographic Characteristics of Pregnant Women Variable n % Age < 25 92 24.9 Age 25–34 201 54.3 Age ≥ 35 77 20.8 High School or Lower 193 52.2 University or Higher 177 47.8 - Pregnant women who had experienced four or more pregnancies reported significantly higher SAAS scores compared to those with fewer pregnancies (p < 0.05). (Table 2 ) Table 2 Pregnancy-related Characteristics Characteristic n % Primigravida 120 32.4 2nd-3rd Pregnancy 158 42.7 ≥ 4 Pregnancies 92 24.9 - Participants who shared pregnancy photos on social media had significantly higher NPI scores (p < 0.05). (Table 3 ) Table 3 Mean Scores of SAAS and NPI Scale Mean SD SAAS 48.2 12.3 NPI 18.7 5.9 - Those who described themselves as "neither beautiful nor ugly" had significantly higher SAAS scores compared to those who described themselves as "beautiful" (p < 0.05). (Table 4 ) Table 4 Correlation between SAAS and NPI Variable 1 Variable 2 r p-value SAAS NPI 0.41 < 0.01 - Women who had maternity photoshoots exhibited significantly lower SAAS scores (p < 0.05). (Table 5 ) Table 5 Regression Analysis Predicting SAAS Predictor B SE Beta p-value Education Level -1.58 0.65 -0.12 0.02 Photo Shoot -3.20 0.95 -0.18 < 0.01 Self-Perception 2.46 0.78 0.21 < 0.01 - Regression analysis revealed that photo sharing, family structure, education level, and self-perception of appearance were significant predictors of SAAS and NPI scores. (Table 6 ) Table 6 Regression Analysis Predicting NPI Predictor B SE Beta p-value Photo Sharing 2.10 0.52 0.25 < 0.01 Family Type 1.35 0.60 0.13 0.03 4. Discussion This study provides insights into the psychosocial profiles of pregnant women in relation to narcissistic traits and appearance-related anxiety. Our findings suggest that narcissistic personality traits may be more pronounced in women who engage in self-promotional behaviors such as social media sharing, consistent with existing literature on narcissism and online behavior (Bergman et al., 2011 ). Increased social appearance anxiety among women with higher parity and lower education may reflect both internalized beauty standards and socioeconomic stressors. These findings align with theories of objectification and impression management, which emphasize the psychological burden of appearance monitoring, particularly in vulnerable populations (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997 ). Furthermore, the inverse relationship between maternity photoshoots and anxiety scores may suggest that intentional body-image affirming behaviors buffer appearance-related distress. This highlights the potential value of psychosocial interventions targeting body image and self-esteem in prenatal care. 5. Conclusion Narcissistic personality traits and social appearance anxiety are intertwined psychosocial constructs that can significantly impact maternal well-being. Given their association with sociodemographic and behavioral variables, these traits should be assessed as part of routine prenatal psychological screening. Interventions that foster self-acceptance and promote positive body image could contribute to better mental health outcomes in pregnant populations. Abbreviations SAAS Social Apperance Anxiety Scale NPI Narcissistic Personality Inventory APA American Psychiatric Association ASÖ Ahmet Salim Özkaya MK Mehtap Kızılkaya Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate T.C. AYDIN ADNAN MENDERES UNIVERSITY RECTORATE Institute of Health Sciences Directorate Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee Document No: E-21347915-050.04.04-260703 Subject: Ethics Committee Application No. 2022/047 To: Dr. Mehtap KIZILKAYA Lecturer The Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee of the Institute of Health Sciences has approved your study at the 15th regular meeting held on October 14, 2022. The second decision taken regarding your study is presented below for your information. DECISION: II Protocol No: 2022/047 Principal Investigator: Dr. Mehtap KIZILKAYA The research titled “Narcissistic Personality Traits, Social Appearance Anxiety, and Related Factors in Pregnant Women” by Dr. Mehtap KIZILKAYA was reviewed at the Ethics Committee meeting on October 14, 2022, based on the correction submitted following the previous meeting dated September 16, 2022. The purpose, rationale, scope, and methods of the study were re-evaluated and it was found appropriate on the condition that permission to use measurement tools during the research process is obtained by the responsible researcher. It has been unanimously decided that the study can be conducted ethically and scientifically provided that it is carried out at the center specified in the application file (on the condition that institutional permission is obtained and the file is submitted). It was also emphasized once again that the principal investigator must ensure that after the study is completed, the final report, Informed Voluntary Consent Form (to be handwritten and signed by the volunteers themselves including full name and address), and the Data Collection Forms/Surveys are delivered to the committee without exception. Prof. Dr. Turhan DOST Chair, Ethics Committee This document has been electronically signed. Our study complies with the Helsinki Declaration, and ethical committee approval has been obtained accordingly. Consent for publication Republic of Turkey Aydın Adnan Menderes University Institute of Health Sciences To the Chairperson of the Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee I, the responsible researcher, plan to conduct my Master's thesis entitled "Narcissistic Personality Traits, Social Appearance Anxiety and Related Factors in Pregnant Women" at Aydın Women's and Children's Hospital between November 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023. Formal permission correspondence for data collection will be conducted after obtaining prior approval from your committee. I undertake to inform you when the OFFICIAL PERMISSION is received. Responsible Researcher Dr. Lecturer Member Mehtap Kızılkaya Signature ADDRESS: Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Nursing, Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing, Efeler/AYDIN Availability of data and materials Research data was collected using a SURVEY form consisting of Demographic Questions, the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. The data obtained in the study were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) for Windows 26.0 program. Descriptive statistics of the data included mean, standard deviation, median, minimum, maximum, frequency, and ratio values. The distribution of the variables was evaluated using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and it was determined that they showed a normal distribution. The variables were analyzed using independent t-test and ANOVA test. Spearman correlation and linear regression analyses were used to determine the relationship and strength of the relationship between the variables. The findings were evaluated at a 95% confidence interval and a 5% significance level. The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to the inclusion of sensitive personal data and ethical restrictions but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Researchers who wish to access the data should contact the corresponding author: Ahmet Salim Özkaya, MSc, RN Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Aydın, Türkiye Email: [email protected] ORCID: 0000-0002-6679-7134 Data will be shared in an anonymized form upon reasonable request and with permission of the relevant ethics committee. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Authors' contributions ASÖ contributed to the design of the study and data collection. Statistical analysis was performed by MK and ASÖ, and drafting of the paper was conducted by MK and ASÖ, based on a master’s thesis drafted by ASÖ with MK as the supervisor. Both authors have read and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank all pregnant women who voluntarily participated in this study. References Atay S. Adaptation of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory into Turkish. Türk Psikoloji Yazıları. 2009;12(24):65–78. Bergman SM, Fearrington ME, Davenport SW, Bergman JZ. Millennials, narcissism, and social networking: What narcissists do on social networking sites and why. Pers Indiv Differ. 2011;50(5):706–11. Duncombe D, Wertheim EH, Skouteris H, Paxton SJ, Kelly L. How do women's attitudes toward their bodies change from pregnancy to postpartum? Body Image. 2008;5(3):311–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2008.03.003 . Fredrickson BL, Roberts T. Objectification theory: Toward understanding women's lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychol Women Q. 1997;21(2):173–206. Hart TA, Leary MR, Rejeski WJ. The development of the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS). Assessment. 2008;15(2):88–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191107310438 . Levinson CA, Rodebaugh TL. Clarifying the prospective relationships between social anxiety and eating disorder symptoms and underlying vulnerabilities. Appetite. 2012;58(3):865–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.01.014 . Potur D. (2003). Body image of pregnant women during third trimester [Master’s thesis, Hacettepe University]. Rozenblatt A. Normal and pathological narcissism in psychological adjustment. Clin Psychol Rev. 2002;22(3):379–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7358(01)00088-6 . Smith JM, Hulsey TC. Body image during pregnancy: Comparing normal weight and overweight primigravidas. Matern Child Health J. 2008;12(5):651–6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-007-0304-6 . Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9172132","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":615492725,"identity":"5d2082bc-4003-4ca8-ab83-4cbdd7eeb9bf","order_by":0,"name":"Ahmet Salim Özkaya","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABBUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLCCBwZAggfEqjgAFjjwgJCWBLiWMwfA9IEEgloYoFoY2yBaGPBp4W9gf/ghoWCbnHzP4WcSP+fdkbMXO/wQaIudnG4Ddi0SB3iMJRIMbhsz9raZSfZue2bMI51mANSSbGx2AIc1B3gYQFoSm/kZzCR4tx1O7JFOAGk5kLgNhxb5A+yPf4C0tPGzf5P8OwekJf0DXi0GB4CGg7T08PaYSfM2gLTk4LfF8DCPmQXILxI8Z4qtZY4dNua5nVNwIMEAt1/kjrc/vvHhz21giKVvvPmm5rAc++z0zR8+VNjJ4fQ+M4LJIoHkYBzK0XV/IE7dKBgFo2AUjDQAAN/GYXs512CSAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Adnan Menderes University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ahmet","middleName":"Salim","lastName":"Özkaya","suffix":""},{"id":615492726,"identity":"ca947e49-0865-493f-8cd3-69864fa47a48","order_by":1,"name":"Mehtap Kızılkaya","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Adnan Menderes University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mehtap","middleName":"","lastName":"Kızılkaya","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-19 17:53:27","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9172132/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9172132/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":108804198,"identity":"2bab6b86-55c9-4402-a57b-31d6453ec792","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-08 15:17:42","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":207634,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9172132/v1/da9f7562-5b22-42b4-9abc-74c1bf380350.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Narcissistic Personality Traits and Social Appearance Anxiety in Pregnant Women: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003ePregnancy is a unique and transformative period characterized by significant physical, emotional, and psychological changes. For many women, this process can heighten self-awareness and body consciousness, sometimes resulting in increased psychological vulnerability (Duncombe et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). Among the psychosocial issues observed during pregnancy, changes in body image and social appearance anxiety are particularly prominent (Potur, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Smith \u0026amp; Hulsey, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). These factors can be exacerbated by the complex interplay of hormonal fluctuations, social expectations, and internalized body ideals, especially within cultures influenced by media representations of beauty (Levinson \u0026amp; Rodebaugh, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNarcissistic personality traits, ranging from healthy self-esteem to pathological grandiosity, may also play a significant role in how pregnant women experience bodily changes. While normal narcissism may serve adaptive functions such as resilience and confidence, pathological narcissism can be associated with interpersonal difficulties and heightened vulnerability to external validation (Rozenblatt, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e; Raskin \u0026amp; Terry, 1988).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe intersection of narcissistic traits and appearance anxiety in pregnancy has received limited attention in mental health literature. Understanding this relationship is crucial for informing holistic maternal care. This study, therefore, aims to explore the association between narcissistic personality traits and social appearance anxiety in a sample of pregnant women, and to identify relevant sociodemographic and obstetric predictors.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e Design and Participants: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2022 and February 2023 at the obstetrics outpatient clinics of Aydin Maternity and Children\u0026rsquo;s Hospital. The study population consisted of pregnant women who presented for routine prenatal care. Using a convenience sampling method, 370 women who met the inclusion criteria participated voluntarily.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Inclusion criteria were: being pregnant, aged 18 years or older, able to speak and understand Turkish, and providing informed consent. Exclusion criteria included psychiatric diagnoses prior to pregnancy or any current psychiatric treatment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eData Collection Instruments: Data were collected through a self-report survey including three sections: (1) A sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics form developed by the researchers, (2) The Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), developed by Hart et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e), validated in Turkish by Doğan (2010), which measures anxiety regarding appearance, and (3) The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), developed by Raskin and Hall (1979), adapted to Turkish by Atay (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Procedure: Participants were informed about the purpose of the study and provided written informed consent. Data collection was conducted in a private setting at the hospital by the primary researcher.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Ethical Considerations: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Aydın Adnan Menderes University (Approval Date: October 2022, No: 2022/174) and institutional permission was obtained from the hospital. Participation was voluntary and confidentiality was ensured throughout the study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25.0. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequencies) were calculated. Independent sample t-tests and ANOVA were used to compare group means. Spearman's rank correlation assessed relationships between continuous variables, and linear regression was used to identify predictors of social appearance anxiety and narcissistic traits.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3. Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe mean age of participants was 28.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.1 years. Most were in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Approximately 52% had high school or lower education, and 60% were unemployed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDistribution of Selected Sociodemographic Characteristics of Pregnant Women\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge 25\u0026ndash;34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e201\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u0026thinsp;\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh School or Lower\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e193\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUniversity or Higher\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e177\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e- Pregnant women who had experienced four or more pregnancies reported significantly higher SAAS scores compared to those with fewer pregnancies (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePregnancy-related Characteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristic\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrimigravida\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e120\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2nd-3rd Pregnancy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e158\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;4 Pregnancies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e- Participants who shared pregnancy photos on social media had significantly higher NPI scores (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean Scores of SAAS and NPI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eScale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSAAS\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNPI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e- Those who described themselves as \"neither beautiful nor ugly\" had significantly higher SAAS scores compared to those who described themselves as \"beautiful\" (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCorrelation between SAAS and NPI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSAAS\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNPI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e- Women who had maternity photoshoots exhibited significantly lower SAAS scores (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegression Analysis Predicting SAAS\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePredictor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSE\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBeta\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEducation Level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhoto Shoot\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-3.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-Perception\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.78\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e- Regression analysis revealed that photo sharing, family structure, education level, and self-perception of appearance were significant predictors of SAAS and NPI scores.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegression Analysis Predicting NPI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePredictor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSE\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBeta\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhoto Sharing\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFamily Type\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4. Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study provides insights into the psychosocial profiles of pregnant women in relation to narcissistic traits and appearance-related anxiety. Our findings suggest that narcissistic personality traits may be more pronounced in women who engage in self-promotional behaviors such as social media sharing, consistent with existing literature on narcissism and online behavior (Bergman et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIncreased social appearance anxiety among women with higher parity and lower education may reflect both internalized beauty standards and socioeconomic stressors. These findings align with theories of objectification and impression management, which emphasize the psychological burden of appearance monitoring, particularly in vulnerable populations (Fredrickson \u0026amp; Roberts, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, the inverse relationship between maternity photoshoots and anxiety scores may suggest that intentional body-image affirming behaviors buffer appearance-related distress. This highlights the potential value of psychosocial interventions targeting body image and self-esteem in prenatal care.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5. Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eNarcissistic personality traits and social appearance anxiety are intertwined psychosocial constructs that can significantly impact maternal well-being. Given their association with sociodemographic and behavioral variables, these traits should be assessed as part of routine prenatal psychological screening. Interventions that foster self-acceptance and promote positive body image could contribute to better mental health outcomes in pregnant populations.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eSAAS\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial Apperance Anxiety Scale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eNPI\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNarcissistic Personality Inventory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eAPA\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmerican Psychiatric Association\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eAS\u0026Ouml;\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAhmet Salim \u0026Ouml;zkaya\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eMK\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMehtap Kızılkaya\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eT.C.\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;AYDIN ADNAN MENDERES UNIVERSITY RECTORATE\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Institute of Health Sciences Directorate\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Document No: E-21347915-050.04.04-260703\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Subject: Ethics Committee Application No. 2022/047\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;To: Dr. Mehtap KIZILKAYA\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Lecturer\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;The Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee of the Institute of Health Sciences has approved your study at the 15th regular meeting held on October 14, 2022. The second decision taken regarding your study is presented below for your information.\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;DECISION: II\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Protocol No: 2022/047\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Principal Investigator: Dr. Mehtap KIZILKAYA\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;The research titled \u0026ldquo;Narcissistic Personality Traits, Social Appearance Anxiety, and Related Factors in Pregnant Women\u0026rdquo; by Dr. Mehtap KIZILKAYA was reviewed at the Ethics Committee meeting on October 14, 2022, based on the correction submitted following the previous meeting dated September 16, 2022. The purpose, rationale, scope, and methods of the study were re-evaluated and it was found appropriate on the condition that permission to use measurement tools during the research process is obtained by the responsible researcher.\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;It has been unanimously decided that the study can be conducted ethically and scientifically provided that it is carried out at the center specified in the application file (on the condition that institutional permission is obtained and the file is submitted).\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;It was also emphasized once again that the principal investigator must ensure that after the study is completed, the final report, Informed Voluntary Consent Form (to be handwritten and signed by the volunteers themselves including full name and address), and the Data Collection Forms/Surveys are delivered to the committee without exception.\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Prof. Dr. Turhan DOST\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Chair, Ethics Committee\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;This document has been electronically signed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur study complies with the Helsinki Declaration, and ethical committee approval has been obtained accordingly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRepublic of Turkey\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAydın Adnan Menderes University\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstitute of Health Sciences\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo the Chairperson of the Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI, the responsible researcher, plan to conduct my Master\u0026apos;s thesis entitled \u0026quot;Narcissistic Personality Traits, Social Appearance Anxiety and Related Factors in Pregnant Women\u0026quot; at Aydın Women\u0026apos;s and Children\u0026apos;s Hospital between November 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023. Formal permission correspondence for data collection will be conducted after obtaining prior approval from your committee. I undertake to inform you when the OFFICIAL PERMISSION is received.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResponsible Researcher\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. Lecturer Member Mehtap Kızılkaya\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSignature\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eADDRESS: Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Nursing, Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing, Efeler/AYDIN\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResearch data was collected using a SURVEY form consisting of Demographic Questions, the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. The data obtained in the study were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) for Windows 26.0 program. Descriptive statistics of the data included mean, standard deviation, median, minimum, maximum, frequency, and ratio values. The distribution of the variables was evaluated using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and it was determined that they showed a normal distribution. The variables were analyzed using independent t-test and ANOVA test. Spearman correlation and linear regression analyses were used to determine the relationship and strength of the relationship between the variables. The findings were evaluated at a 95% confidence interval and a 5% significance level.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to the inclusion of sensitive personal data and ethical restrictions but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResearchers who wish to access the data should contact the corresponding author:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAhmet Salim \u0026Ouml;zkaya, MSc, RN\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Institute of Health Sciences,\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Department of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Aydın, T\u0026uuml;rkiye\u003cbr\u003eEmail:\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cstrong\[email protected]\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eORCID: \u003cstrong\u003e0000-0002-6679-7134\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData will be shared in an anonymized form upon reasonable request and with permission of the relevant ethics committee.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026apos; contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAS\u0026Ouml; contributed to the design of the study and data collection. Statistical analysis was performed by MK and AS\u0026Ouml;, and drafting of the paper was conducted by MK and AS\u0026Ouml;, based on a master\u0026rsquo;s thesis drafted by AS\u0026Ouml; with MK as the supervisor. Both authors have read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors would like to thank all pregnant women who voluntarily participated in this study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAtay S. Adaptation of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory into Turkish. T\u0026uuml;rk Psikoloji Yazıları. 2009;12(24):65\u0026ndash;78.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBergman SM, Fearrington ME, Davenport SW, Bergman JZ. Millennials, narcissism, and social networking: What narcissists do on social networking sites and why. Pers Indiv Differ. 2011;50(5):706\u0026ndash;11.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuncombe D, Wertheim EH, Skouteris H, Paxton SJ, Kelly L. How do women's attitudes toward their bodies change from pregnancy to postpartum? Body Image. 2008;5(3):311\u0026ndash;6. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2008.03.003\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.bodyim.2008.03.003\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFredrickson BL, Roberts T. Objectification theory: Toward understanding women's lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychol Women Q. 1997;21(2):173\u0026ndash;206.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHart TA, Leary MR, Rejeski WJ. The development of the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS). Assessment. 2008;15(2):88\u0026ndash;97. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/1073191107310438\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/1073191107310438\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLevinson CA, Rodebaugh TL. Clarifying the prospective relationships between social anxiety and eating disorder symptoms and underlying vulnerabilities. Appetite. 2012;58(3):865\u0026ndash;73. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.01.014\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.appet.2012.01.014\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePotur D. (2003). \u003cem\u003eBody image of pregnant women during third trimester\u003c/em\u003e [Master\u0026rsquo;s thesis, Hacettepe University].\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRozenblatt A. Normal and pathological narcissism in psychological adjustment. Clin Psychol Rev. 2002;22(3):379\u0026ndash;95. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7358(01)00088-6\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/S0272-7358(01)00088-6\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSmith JM, Hulsey TC. Body image during pregnancy: Comparing normal weight and overweight primigravidas. Matern Child Health J. 2008;12(5):651\u0026ndash;6. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-007-0304-6\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s10995-007-0304-6\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Pregnancy, Narcissistic Personality Traits, Social Appearance Anxiety, Maternal Mental Health, Prenatal Psychology","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9172132/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9172132/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003ePurpose: This study aimed to examine the relationship between narcissistic personality traits and social appearance anxiety in pregnant women and to identify associated sociodemographic and pregnancy-related factors. \u003cbr\u003e\nDesign and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. The sample consisted of 370 pregnant women who attended the obstetrics outpatient clinics of Aydin Maternity and Children's Hospital between November 2022 and February 2023. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire including a sociodemographic form, the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI). Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, ANOVA, Spearman correlations, and linear regression analyses were used for data analysis. \u003cbr\u003e\nFindings: Women with four or more pregnancies had significantly higher SAAS scores compared to those with fewer pregnancies. Participants who shared photos during pregnancy had higher NPI scores than those who did not. Women who perceived themselves as \"neither beautiful nor ugly\" reported higher social appearance anxiety compared to those who saw themselves as beautiful. Additionally, women who had maternity photoshoots had significantly lower SAAS scores. \u003cbr\u003e\nPractice Implications: These findings suggest the relevance of integrating mental health screening, including personality traits and appearance-related concerns, into antenatal care. Healthcare professionals should consider sociodemographic and psychosocial factors when planning prenatal interventions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Narcissistic Personality Traits and Social Appearance Anxiety in Pregnant Women: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-01 08:41:50","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9172132/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"5d9e8bc6-1392-4fa9-83ea-4f5ae04e0006","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 1st, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"decision","content":"Rejected","date":"2026-05-04T15:23:40+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-01T15:13:46+00:00","index":115,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-04T15:39:59+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-01 08:41:50","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9172132","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9172132","identity":"rs-9172132","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}