Depression remains a neglected public health problem among pregnant women in Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Antenatal depression is highly prevalent but a neglected public health problem in low income countries. It has serious effects on the general health of women, birth outcomes and child health. However, there has been limited substantial evidence on the prevalence and predictors of antenatal depression in Ethiopia. This lack of evidence potentiates the consequences of the problem and can limit the attention to intervention. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and potential predictors of antenatal depression at Debre Tabor and Woreta towns, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was employed on 548 pregnant women recruited by a cluster sampling method. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The List of Threatening Experiences Questionnaire (LTE-Q), the Oslo-3 Social Support Scale (OSSS-3), Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Scale and Fast Alcohol Screening Test (FAST) were also used to measure stressful events, social support, intimate partner violence (IPV) and hazardous alcohol use respectively. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with antenatal depression. Results The prevalence of antenatal depression was found to be 24.45% (95% CI: 21.20, 28.30%). Being single (AOR =3.32, 95% CI = 1.36, 8.09); fear of pregnancy complication (AOR = 3.84, 95% CI = 1.53,9.62); history of chronic illness (AOR = 8.14, 95% CI = 2.14, 30.91); unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 2.99, 95% CI = 1.36,6.55); history of stillbirth (AOR = 3.56, 95% CI = 1.23, 10.29),one or more negative life events (AOR = 4.06, 95% CI = 1.71, 9.66) and intimate partner violence (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.65, 9.26) were factors significantly associated with antenatal depression. Conclusion Nearly a quarter of pregnant women suffer from depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Being single; fear of pregnancy complication; history of chronic illness; unplanned pregnancy; history of stillbirth; one or more negative life events and intimate partner violence were important predictors of antenatal depression in this study. Health care workers should consider addressing these risk factors during a routine antenatal care. Also, integrating early screening, detection, and treatment of antenatal depression into routine antenatal care is warranted to improve the quality of life of pregnant women and pregnancy outcomes as well.

The Prevalence of Antenatal Depression among Women in Medina, Saudi Arabia

“…This finding indicates that the majority of the pregnant women in Saudi Arabia that go for antenatal care are young women between 25 and 35 years. This observation resonates with the findings in studies elsewhere [20,21] where the majority of the pregnant women seeking antenatal care are younger in age compared to the older ones.…”

“…In this study, the prevalence of antenatal depression stands at 31.3% in mild depression, 23.9% in moderate depression, 5.5% in moderately severe depression, and 3.5% in severe depression. In a study by Beyene et al [20] where depression was not categorized, the prevalence of antenatal depression was found to be 24.45%. This observation is comparable to that of this current study.…”

“…Cortisol interrupts adequate oxygen and nutrient flow to the fetus [22]. Secondly, depression can disrupt the immune system functioning causing infections that affect fetal growth [20]. Lastly, depressed mothers have a poor appetite and can even smoke and take alcohol that nutritionally affects the fetus [21].…”

Prevalence of and sociodemographic factors associated with antenatal depression among women in Limpopo Province, South Africa

“…[8][9][10][11][12][13] In sub-Saharan African countries, prevalence rates have ranged from 17.7% to 50.0%. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] Several studies have identified various sociodemographic risk factors that contributed to antenatal depression in developing countries. These include maternal age, [24,25] being unmarried, [26][27][28] having a lower level of education, [25,26,29] smoking, [26,30,31] consumption of alcohol, [30] being HIV infected, [31,32] poor nutritional status, [33,34] partner violent behaviour, [21,[35][36][37] and lack of partner financial support.…”

Prevalence of Depression among Antenatal Women in Sriperumbudur, Chennai

“…Antenatal depression can have serious consequences for both the mother and the newborn. According to Indian research, the prevalence of prenatal depression ranges from 1.9 to 21.6 % [11]. The prevalence of antenatal depression in our research was 41%.…”