Clinical Implications
Nurses who care for pregnant or postpartum women are in a unique position to help eating-disordered women in a nonthreatening manner. Their consistent contact enables them to build a trusting rapport with these women and to engage patients in conversations about diet and health focused toward the optimal health of their infant. Clinicians should recognize that a majority of women with an ED will not disclose this information to their healthcare provider, so asking questions sensitively as a concerned healthcare provider for the infant would be best received. The British SCOFF Questionnaire, used by primary care providers and developed to be a fast and reliable screening tool for all EDs, has been evaluated to be 77% sensitive and 87% specific in identifying an ED (Lahteenmaki et al., 2009). The SCOFF Questionnaire was a beneficial supplement to physical exams performed by Finnish school nurses when detecting students who may not yet demonstrate objective physical findings of an ED (Hautala et al., 2009). If signs of disordered eating are detected, healthcare providers are in a powerful position to help establish their clients' good nutritional habits and healthy lifestyles from pregnancy onward.