The Blacker the Berry: Food Environments and Intake associated with Perinatal Depression and Secondary Breastfeeding Outcomes among Black Americans in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area
type: CreativeWork
description: The relationship between the food environment, intake, and health is complex. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if food environments in proximity to Black pregnant women in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area were associated with prenatal eating habits and if these eating habits were associated with the risk of developing depressive symptoms in pregnancy and postpartum. The study also aimed to understand if there was a relationship between prenatal eating habits and the decision to breastfeed and if the onset of postpartum depressive symptoms has any effect on this relationship. Due to the importance of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods on maternal mental health and breastfeeding intention, select foods high in critical nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties are included in aims one, two, and three. Aim one was to evaluate the relationship between the distance and density of residential food environments and prenatal dietary intake of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods in Black American participants. Aim two was to evaluate if daily prenatal intake of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods moderates the relationship between neuroinflammation biomarkers and prenatal depressive symptom onset and severity in Black American participants. Aim three was to evaluate if postpartum depressive symptom frequency and severity moderates the relationship between daily prenatal intake of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods and breastfeeding outcomes at four months postpartum. The study was a secondary analysis of the multi-wave, longitudinal eLABE study, which consists of 395 pregnant women aged 18 years or older without known pregnancy complications or substance use during pregnancy. Participants included in the current study identified as Black Americans (n=245, 67%), completed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) Diet History Questionnaire II (DHQ-II) in pregnancy, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in pre…
abstract: The relationship between the food environment, intake, and health is complex. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if food environments in proximity to Black pregnant women in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area were associated with prenatal eating habits and if these eating habits were associated with the risk of developing depressive symptoms in pregnancy and postpartum. The study also aimed to understand if there was a relationship between prenatal eating habits and the decision to breastfeed and if the onset of postpartum depressive symptoms has any effect on this relationship. Due to the importance of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods on maternal mental health and breastfeeding intention, select foods high in critical nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties are included in aims one, two, and three. Aim one was to evaluate the relationship between the distance and density of residential food environments and prenatal dietary intake of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods in Black American participants. Aim two was to evaluate if daily prenatal intake of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods moderates the relationship between neuroinflammation biomarkers and prenatal depressive symptom onset and severity in Black American participants. Aim three was to evaluate if postpartum depressive symptom frequency and severity moderates the relationship between daily prenatal intake of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods and breastfeeding outcomes at four months postpartum. The study was a secondary analysis of the multi-wave, longitudinal eLABE study, which consists of 395 pregnant women aged 18 years or older without known pregnancy complications or substance use during pregnancy. Participants included in the current study identified as Black Americans (n=245, 67%), completed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) Diet History Questionnaire II (DHQ-II) in pregnancy, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in pre…
author: Walden, Najjuwah S
language: English (en)
keywords: Breastfeeding;Diet;Food environment;Food intake;Nutritional Biology;Perinatal Depression, Public Health, Social Work
date published: 2025-09-01T07:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:12:17Z
provider: Washington University in St. Louis
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Washington University in St. Louis

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.7936/wzbk-jd16