Intersecting pathways of postpartum depressive symptoms and recurrent binge eating after gestational diabetes: Findings from the LINDA ‐Brazil cohort

Objective To estimate the prevalence and correlates of recurrent binge eating (RBE) and postpartum depression (PPD), and examine their association among women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods This cross‐sectional analysis included 699 women with prior GDM who participated in the postpartum baseline assessment of the LINDA‐Brazil study. RBE was defined as self‐reported recurrent episodes of consuming large quantities of food within a discrete period, accompanied by a sense of lack of control during these episodes. PPD was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), with a cutoff score ≥13. Sociodemographic, obstetric, behavioral, and nutritional characteristics were obtained by interview. Associations were examined using Poisson regression models with robust variance. Results Among the 699 participants, 272 (38.9%) presented RBE, and 184 (26.3%) had PPD. At least one of the two outcomes was identified in 49.4% of participants, and 15.9% presented both. RBE was more prevalent among younger women and those with postpartum weight retention greater than 5 kg. PPD was associated with lower household income, current smoking, parity, weight‐related factors, and poor sleep quality, whereas current breastfeeding was associated with a lower prevalence. In the primary analysis, women with RBE had a higher prevalence of PPD than women without RBE (prevalence ratio [PR], 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.63–2.88). Conclusion RBE and PPD were common and frequently co‐occurred among women with recent GDM. Women with RBE had approximately twice the prevalence of PPD compared with those without RBE. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the temporal relationship between these conditions.