To assess the association of antenatal and postnatal social support with postpartum depression (PPD).
Methods
We carried out a prospective cohort study of 534 pregnant women between February and September 2007 in Hunan, China. The association between prenatal and postnatal social support with PPD was examined.
Results
A total of 103 (19.29%) women had PPD. Women with low prenatal and postnatal social support had higher rates of PPD. For prenatal support, PPD was 28.20% in the lowest quartile versus 9.90% in the highest quartile (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 3.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.64,6.98). For postnatal support, PPD was 44.10% in the lowest quartile versus 5.40% in the highest quartile (adjusted OR: 9.64, 95% CI=4.09, 22.69).
Conclusions
Lower or lack of social support is a risk factor of PPD. The association between postnatal social support and PPD is much stronger than that of prenatal social support.
cOttawa Health Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, University of Ottawa, Canada
dCentral South University, Hunan, People's Republic of China
eStress and Anxiety Clinical Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Canada
Address correspondence to: Dr. Shi Wu Wen, OMNI Research Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine, 501 Smyth Rd, Box 241, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8L6. Tel.: 613-737-8899, ext 73912; Fax: 613-739-6266.
ABSTRACT