Risk factors for prenatal depressive symptoms among Hispanic women
Author Department
Medicine; Ob/Gyn
Document Type
Article, Peer-reviewed
Publication Date
11-1-2011
Abstract
Prior studies of risk factors for depressive symptoms during pregnancy are sparse and the majority have focused on non-Hispanic white women. Hispanics are the largest minority group in the US and have the highest birth rates. We examined associations between pre and early pregnancy factors and depressive symptoms in early pregnancy among 921 participants in Proyecto Buena Salud, an ongoing cohort of pregnant Puerto Rican and Dominican women in Western Massachusetts. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (mean=13 weeks gestation) by bilingual interviewers who also collected data on sociodemographic, acculturation, behavioral, and psychosocial factors. A total of 30% of participants were classified as having depressive symptoms (EPDS scores>12) with mean+SD scores of 9.28+5.99. Higher levels of education (college/graduate school vs.
Publication ISSN
0884-8734
Recommended Citation
Fortner RT, Pekow P, Dole N, Markenson G, Chasan-Taber L. Risk factors for prenatal depressive symptoms among Hispanic women Matern Child Health J 2011 Nov;15(8):1287-95.