Body image issues in Lithuanian females before and during pregnancy.

ABSTRACT: There is a risk that during pregnancy a woman's changing physique might result in stronger concerns about her appearance and may lead to negative consequences both for mother and foetus. The aim of the present study was to assess women's self-esteem, body image and weight control before and during pregnancy. A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Centre of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Vilnius University Hospital. In total, 234 pregnant women were investigated. The Self-esteem was measured by Rosenberg's scale (1965), while the attitude towards the body size - by Stunkard's figure rating scale (1983). When rating their actual body size and the preferred body shape using Stunkard's figures, the investigated females chose, on average, 3.40 and 2.93 (respectively) size figures for the period before pregnancy (p < 0.05), while they picked 4.38 and 3.44 (respectively) figures during pregnancy (p < 0.05). Women's efforts not to gain weight during pregnancy were not determined by their opinion of their body size during pregnancy (rs(232) = 0.136,p > 0.05). Regardless of their body shape assessment during pregnancy, pregnant women did not restrict their diet (rs(232) = 0.064,p > 0.05). Conclusions: during pregnancy women assessed their weight gain adequately, pregnant women chose larger body sizes as an ideal physique if compared to the ones of the period before pregnancy, women's efforts not to gain weight during pregnancy were not determined by their body size perception during pregnancy, pregnant women, despite their body shape assessment during pregnancy, did not restrict their diet, i.e. pregnant women became psychologically adapted to their body changes during pregnancy, and the maternity became a much more important factor than the beauty ideals associated with slender figures.

ACL reconstruction using 5- or 6-strand hamstring autograft provides graft's diameter bigger than 8 mm.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to measure the diameters of 5- and 6-strand hamstring autografts and to evaluate the predictability of their thickness by other body size indices. METHODS: Data were collected from 122 skeletally mature adult patients, who had undergone arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using only 5- or 6-strand hamstring autografts. The diameters of tibial and femoral ends of the grafts were measured with the precision of 0.5 mm. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine the relationship between autograft's thickness and body size indices. RESULTS: The diameter of the femoral end of the 5-strand graft in male/female patients on average was 8.9/8.3 mm, while the femoral end of the 6-strand graft-9.3/8.5 mm (respectively). In 98.4% of the cases, 5- or 6-strand hamstring autografts were significantly thicker than 8 mm. In 5-strand group, a significant positive correlation was detected between the diameter of autograft's femoral end and patient's height (r = 0.55; p < 0.001), weight (r = 0.60; p < 0.001) and BMI (r = 0.43; p < 0.01). The 6-strand group had statistically significant correlations between the femoral end of the graft and height (r = 0.53; p < 0.001), and femoral end of the graft and weight (r = 0.50; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hamstring autografts were significantly thicker than 8 mm. Taller and heavier persons tended to have greater diameters of hamstring autografts; however, to better predict the diameter of autograft, body composition should be studied in relation to autograft's size. Preparation of 5- or 6-strand graft (using all the length of hamstring tendons) provides almost 100% of probability to obtain graft's diameter bigger than 8 mm. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.