Three in four new Australian moms struggle with body image

Flinders University

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Madeleine Rhodes, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University

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Credit: Flinders University

Up to 75% of Australian women report concerns about their body image after giving birth, with many feeling intense pressure to “bounce back” to their pre-pregnancy shape, a pressure that can even trigger eating disorders for the first time, warn Flinders University researchers.

A major review published in Body Image shows these struggles are not just personal - they are shaped by partners, families, and cultural expectations.

The analysis of 36 studies found that social and interpersonal factors can either protect against or worsen body dissatisfaction and disordered eating during pregnancy and the first year postpartum.

Lead author and PhD candidate, Madeleine Rhodes, from Flinders’ College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, says the findings challenge the idea that body image concerns are solely an individual responsibility.

“We wanted to understand how new and expecting mums are affected by the people and environment close to them when it comes to their bodies and eating habits,” says Ms Rhodes.

“Whilst support from partners, family, friends, and healthcare professionals can help women feel better about their bodies, negative comments and social pressure to ‘bounce back’ make things worse.”

The review found that supportive partners and strong social networks help women feel more positive about their bodies, while unrealistic media portrayals, appearance-focused comments, and even well-meaning advice can do harm.

“The transition to motherhood is a time of profound change and women shouldn’t have to navigate these pressures alone - partners, families, and healthcare professionals all play a critical role,” says Ms Rhodes.

“These issues are shaped by relationships and culture. Solutions need to involve partners, families and health professionals, not just the women themselves.”

The study found that protective factors included emotional and practical support from loved ones and clear, non-judgmental guidance from healthcare providers.

Risk factors included appearance-related comments, interpersonal abuse, and sociocultural pressure to conform to thin ideals. Some women reported that weight-related advice triggered distress, especially those with a history of eating disorders.

Healthcare professionals were identified as vital sources of reassurance, yet many women said conversations about body changes were absent or overly focused on weight.

“Our findings suggest doctors and midwives should regularly check in with new and expecting mums about how they feel about their bodies and eating habits, and give clear, supportive advice about normal changes,” Ms Rhodes says.

Media and celebrity portrayals also came under fire for reinforcing unrealistic expectations.

Body image expert and senior author, Professor Ivanka Prichard, says that while pregnancy often brings temporary relief from thin-ideal pressure, these expectations return with force postpartum, fuelling dissatisfaction and unhealthy behaviours.

“The cultural obsession with ‘getting your body back’ is harmful and unrealistic,” Professor Prichard says.

“This is a public health issue with real consequences for mothers, babies, and families. By shifting the focus from individual responsibility to shared support, we can create healthier outcomes for everyone.”

The researchers urge routine screening for body image and eating concerns while women are pregnant as well as postnatally recommend involving partners and social networks in interventions.

“Partners and family can help by offering emotional support and avoiding comments about looks, while public health messages should push back against unrealistic ‘bounce back’ expectations and promote messages of body functionality and self-compassion,” adds Ms Rhodes.

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Journal

Body Image

DOI

10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101998 

Method of Research

Systematic review

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

A systematic review of social and interpersonal factors associated with perinatal body image and eating concerns

 

Cooler bedroom temperatures help the heart recover during sleep

Maintaining a bedroom temperature of 24°C at night while sleeping reduces stress responses in older adults, according to new Griffith University research.

Griffith University

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Maintaining a bedroom temperature of 24°C at night while sleeping reduces stress responses in older adults, according to new Griffith University research.

Dr Fergus O’Connor from Griffith’s School of Allied Health, Sport and Social Work assessed the effect of increasing nighttime bedroom temperatures on heart rate and stress responses in older adults.

“For individuals aged 65 years and over, maintaining overnight bedroom temperatures at 24°C reduced the likelihood of experiencing heightened stress responses during sleep,” Dr O’Connor said.

“When the human body is exposed to heat, its normal physiological response is to increase the heart rate.

“The heart is working harder to try and circulate blood to the skin surface for cooling.

“However, when the heart works harder and for longer, it creates stress and limits our capacity to recover from the previous day’s heat exposure.”

Study participants wore fitness activity trackers on their non-dominant wrist, and the bedroom temperature was monitored via installed temperature sensors throughout the Australian summer-long data collection period.

The data from the study provided the first real-world evidence of the effect of increasing bedroom temperature had on heart rate and stress responses.

“Climate change is increasing the frequency of hot nights, which may independently contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality by impairing sleep and autonomic recovery,” Dr O’Connor said.

“While there are guidelines for maximum daytime indoor temperature, 26°C, there are no equivalent recommendations for nighttime conditions.”

The paper ‘Effect of nighttime bedroom temperature on heart rate variability in older adults: an observational study’ has been published in BMC Medicine.

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Journal

BMC Medicine

DOI

10.1186/s12916-025-04513-0 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Effect of nighttime bedroom temperature on heart rate variability in older adults: an observational study

 

Thermal drone monitoring a promising way to monitor dolphin health

Flinders University

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Drone imagery combining colour and thermal views of four bottlenose dolphins at the surface. Photo: Charlie White/CEBEL; processing by Dr Andrew P. Colefax

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Credit: Photo: Charlie White/CEBEL (Flinders University), with processing by Dr Andrew P Colefax

Australia’s beloved dolphin populations face growing pressures from environmental changes and human activity, increasing the need for reliable, accessible and non-invasive tools to monitor their health and support conservation and management. 

In a new study published in the Journal of Thermal Biology, marine mammal experts from Flinders University analysed more than 40,000 drone-based thermal images to test how accurately drones fitted with thermal cameras can measure dolphin surface temperature and respiration rates without the need for capture or invasive probes.

The research tested whether drones equipped with thermal cameras could reliably measure dolphin surface temperature and breathing rates

“Monitoring the health of dolphins is important for assessing environmental impacts and supporting conservation, but because they spend most of their lives underwater traditional health checks often require capture, restraint or invasive probes, which can be logistically challenging and potentially stressful for the animals,” says PhD candidate Charlie White, from the Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) at Flinders University. 

“At the optimal flight conditions – 10m to 15m directly overhead of a dolphin – we confirmed that the drone measurements were precise enough to detect biologically meaningful changes in surface temperature and respiration rate – two important indicators of physiological state and health.”

Working with 14 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under human care at Queensland’s Sea World, the researchers flew a drone at different heights and compared the drone’s thermal readings with close-range temperature measurements to validate accuracy.

“We found that the drone could reliably measure the heat coming from the dolphins’ blowholes, body surfaces and dorsal fins, as well as accurately count their respiration rate,” says Ms White, from the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University.

Senior author Associate Professor Guido Parra says the study demonstrates that drone-based infrared thermography is a promising tool for wildlife health assessment, opening the door to safer and less invasive health monitoring of marine mammals in both managed care and wild settings.

“Our findings show that drone-based infrared thermography can accurately and reliably estimate dolphin vital signs under controlled conditions,” says Associate Professor Parra.

“With continued refinement and testing under a wider range of wild conditions, the approach has the potential to support safer and less intrusive health monitoring of marine mammals in both managed care and the wild.”

The article, 'Using drone-based infrared thermography for monitoring vital signs in dolphins' (2026), by Charlie White, Andrew P Colefax (Sci-Eye and Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation) and Guido J Parra has been published in the Journal of Thermal Biology DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2025.104353.

Read more in The Conversation: ‘Thermal drones can track dolphin health without having to touch or disturb them’ 

Acknowledgements:  The project was supported by the CEBEL research group at Flinders University. All research was carried out under an animal ethics permit from Flinders University (BIOL5505), Australia. Researchers thank the Dolphin Beach and Dolphin Bay teams at Sea World, Gold Coast, for their essential support in data collection, and the Sea World Foundation for their in-kind contributions.

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Journal

Journal of Thermal Biology

DOI

10.1016/j.jtherbio.2025.104353 

Method of Research

Imaging analysis

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Using drone-based infrared thermography for monitoring vital signs in dolphins

PhD candidate Charlie White, from the Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) at Flinders University. 

Credit

C White (Flinders University)

Drone-based thermal imaging was used in this study to measure dolphin surface temperature and respiration rates.

Credit

Flinders University

drone footage [VIDEO] 

Drone-mounted thermal footage showing bottlenose dolphins at the surface, with respiration events visible. Video: Charlie White/CEBEL research group (Flinders University) 

 

Putting workers at the centre of rapid AI change

Flinders University

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Associate Professor Andreas Cebulla researches the future of work and technology, including the ethical use of artificial intelligence in workplaces, and the social impacts of automation and new technologies.

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Credit: Flinders University

New research from Australia highlights the need for artificial intelligence (AI) systems to complement –  not impede – worker safety and welfare in workplaces. 

While Australia has taken commendable first steps towards responsible governance of AI, its current regulatory apparatus lacks the legally binding and workplace-specific and mechanisms necessary to mitigate emerging risks, according to Future of Work expert Associate Professor Andreas Cebulla, from Flinders University. 

“The goal is not to eliminate AI's role, but to co-produce a workplace that reflects operational accountability,” he says.

In a new article in the Journal of Industrial Relations, Associate Professor Cebulla says that while early assessments of AI have focused on job automation and productivity gains, a growing body of evidence points to AI affecting workplace relationships, worker autonomy and psychosocial well-being.

The rapid take-off of AI technologies in Australian workplaces has included data entry automation, document processing, fraud detection and Generative AI tools.

“While promising operational efficiency, these innovations also introduce risks of algorithmic management, the erosion of tacit knowledge, digital incivility and the devaluation of human labour. Current governance frameworks fail to sufficiently address these relational harms,” he warns.

“Bridging this gap requires a shift in how AI is conceptualised, not just as a technical tool or economic input, but as a social actor with the power to shape working relationships, identities and hierarchies.

Drawing on national and international data, the latest research identifies AI-related risks that affects workplace dynamics and employee agency. It also identifies the integration of AI-related risks into Work Health and Safety (WHS) regulations as a key gap in Australia's policy response.

“We propose a framework for managing risks grounded in job crafting, participatory oversight and expanded WHS definitions. In doing so, it positions the worker not as a passive recipient of AI impacts but as a co-designer of workplace transformation,” he says.

“The framework treats the workforce as co-designers not end-users of AI integration. Its mechanisms also build on existing industrial relations infrastructure, including union representation and safety committees.

“When job crafting is legitimised and supported, it enables workers to transform potential threats into sources of meaning and resilience.”

If AI tools are optimised for organisational goals (efficiency, compliance), job crafting optimises for worker values (dignity, purpose, agency), the article says.

Associate Professor Cebulla says the framework addresses the core insight and points to the effects that are “deeply social, often subtle, and frequently overlooked in both policy design and organisational strategy”.

“AI tools do not merely automate, they reconfigure. They change how decisions are made, who holds authority, how performance is interpreted, and what kinds of labour are seen as legitimate.

“As such, they must be governed not only through audits and algorithms but through social institutions, norms and participatory mechanisms that foreground the human experience of work.”

The new article, ‘ AI and workplace relations: A WHS framework for managing relational risks in workplaces’ (2025) by Andreas Cebulla has been published in the journal of Journal of Industrial Relations - DOI: 10. 1177/00221856251392987.

Associate Professor Andreas Cebulla is an affiliate of the Flinders Factory of the Future. He researches the future of work and technology, including the ethical use of artificial intelligence in workplaces, and the social impacts of automation and new technologies.

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Journal

Journal of Industrial Relations

DOI

10.1177/00221856251392987 

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

AI and workplace relations: A WHS framework for managing relational risks in workplaces