Survey on Dietary Awareness During Pregnancy: Over 40% of Pregnant Women Who Researched Diet During Pregnancy Still Feel 'Anxious' — About 1 in 4 Who Experience Dietary Anxiety Report 'Fear or Inability to Enjoy Eating,' Burden of 'Sole Decision-Making' Identified as Key Factor

Asken Inc. (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Jiro Amatatsu), the developer and operator of 'Asuken,' Japan's No.1*¹ AI-powered diet management app with over 14 million cumulative users, has conducted a survey titled 'Survey on Dietary Awareness During Pregnancy' (hereinafter 'the survey') targeting 1,001 pregnant women in Japan.

The survey results reveal that approximately 80% (79.2%) of respondents actively seek information about diet during pregnancy, yet over 40% (43.3%) reported that despite their research, they 'understand the information but still feel anxious.'

Furthermore, among those who reported lingering anxiety, about one in four indicated experiencing psychological changes such as 'became afraid of eating,' 'started blaming themselves,' or 'felt the pressure of making dietary decisions alone.' This suggests that the burden of daily 'sole decision-making' regarding food choices may be affecting the mental well-being of pregnant women.

■ Summary of Survey Results: 'Awareness of Diet During Pregnancy'

- Approximately 80% (79.2%) of pregnant women research dietary information on their own

- After researching, only about half (47.3%) felt 'understood and reassured,' while over 40% (43.3%) felt 'understood but still anxious'

- The top reason for lingering anxiety: 'Too much information; unsure what to believe'

- Among those still anxious, about one in four experienced changes such as 'unable to enjoy eating / afraid to eat,' 'blaming themselves,' or 'feeling the pressure of sole decision-making and responsibility.' The burden of daily food-related 'sole decision-making' appears to be a key underlying factor.

■ Background of the Survey

Pregnancy is a period when women pay increased attention to daily meals, including weight management and nutritional balance. However, planning daily meals while considering necessary nutrients and portion sizes is not easy, and many find it difficult to implement amidst busy lifestyles.

In recent years, vast amounts of dietary information for pregnant women are disseminated via social media and the internet. Additionally, support systems such as prenatal checkups and municipal nutrition counseling have expanded. While access to information and support has improved, individuals must still continuously decide 'what and how much to eat' based on their own health and lifestyle—this ongoing decision-making process may accumulate as psychological burden.

Asken has previously offered a dietary advisory program 'Asu Mama Course' (hereinafter 'Asu Mama Course') tailored for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, providing ongoing support for daily nutrition management. To further visualize the challenges and burdens pregnant women face regarding diet, the company conducted this survey.

■ Survey Results

1. About 80% research diet during pregnancy, yet over 40% still feel 'anxious'—Information overload leads to 'sole decision-making' burden among pregnant women

When asked, 'Have you researched diet during pregnancy on your own?' 79.2% responded affirmatively. When further asked, 'After researching, did you understand your daily dietary approach?' 47.3% answered 'understood and reassured,' while 43.3% answered 'understood but still anxious.' This indicates that over 40% of those who researched diet during pregnancy still could not fully alleviate their anxiety.

The primary reason for lingering anxiety was 'too much information; unsure what to believe' (39.7%), followed by 'unclear portion guidelines (how much to eat)' (24.2%). Despite abundant information, the difficulty in filtering and selecting information based on gestational week, health condition, and lifestyle, combined with the necessity to ultimately make decisions and bear responsibility alone, contributes to the 'sole decision-making' burden.

Regarding information sources, 'web search (Google, Yahoo!, etc.)' (65.7%), 'social media (X/Instagram/TikTok/YouTube, etc.)' (59.1%), and 'pregnancy/childcare specialized websites/apps' (48.0%) ranked highest, indicating that respondents consult multiple sources when making decisions.

2. Over 90% of pregnant women with dietary anxiety report changes—About 1 in 4 experience 'self-blame' or 'fear of eating'

When asked about changes experienced due to lingering dietary anxiety, 25.9% reported 'excessively blaming themselves, fearing something might happen to their child due to their diet,' 25.4% reported 'increased screen time,' 24.8% reported 'lost enjoyment in eating / became afraid to eat,' and 24.8% reported 'felt the pressure of having to make final food decisions and bear responsibility alone.' Each of these responses was reported by approximately one in four.

Only 7.0% said they 'felt no change,' indicating that over 90% experienced some form of psychological or behavioral change.

The burden of 'sole decision-making' manifests concretely in both psychological and behavioral aspects—self-blame and fear of eating are clear indicators.

3. Hospital and municipal dietary guidance sees many 'understood and implemented,' yet over 70% did not use municipal services—'Barriers to implementation' and lack of 'decision-making benchmarks' perpetuate 'sole decision-making' burden

Prenatal checkups and municipal nutrition support services (e.g., nutritional lectures in parenting classes, individual consultations) are crucial for maintaining health during pregnancy. In this survey, over half reported 'understood and implemented' under such guidance.

However, when those who received specific dietary advice during prenatal checkups were asked, 'Did you understand and implement specific dietary management methods?' 35.6% responded 'implemented but still anxious.'

Moreover, only 24.9% of respondents reported 'aware and used' municipal nutrition support services for pregnant women (e.g., nutritional lectures, individual consultations), while over 70% responded either 'aware but did not use' or 'unaware.'

Among users of these services, 30.1% reported 'implemented but still anxious,' revealing that uncertainty persists even after understanding guidance.

Reasons for lingering anxiety despite professional guidance included 'unclear portion guidelines (how much to eat)' (39.6%) as the top reason, followed by 'lack of clear decision-making criteria (prioritization, boundaries) for what to do' (37.5%), and 'practical difficulties due to morning sickness, health, work, or childcare responsibilities' (36.1%).

For dietary support during pregnancy, it is not enough to provide knowledge—there is a growing need for 'practical adaptations' tailored to individual health and lifestyle, and 'decision-making benchmarks' to refer back to when facing daily uncertainties.