Author/Authors :
Shah, Syed Mahboob Ali United Arab Emirates University - Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences - Department of Community Medicine, United Arab Emirates , Shah, Syed Mahboob Ali University of Saskatchewan - School of Public Health - Community Health and Epidemiology, Canada , Bowen, Angela University of Saskatchewan - College of Nursing, Canada , Afridi, Iqbal Jinah Post Graduate Medical Institute - Department of Psychitary, Pakistan , Nowshad, Gul University of Texas - Management, Policy and Community Health, USA , Muhajarine, Nazeem University of Saskatchewan - School of Public Health - Community Health and Epidemiology, Canada
Abstract :
Objective: To study the prevalence and correlates of depression in pregnant women of different cultures.Methods: We used a score of 13 or greater on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to indicate depression status and logistic regression to determine its correlates in pregnant women from Northern Pakistan (n=128), Caucasian (n=128) and Aboriginal (n=128) women from Saskatchewan, Canada.Results: A higher proportion of Pakistani women (48.4%) had depression compared to their Aboriginal (31.2%) and Caucasian (8.6%) counterparts. Depression was associated with poor physical health in all women; however, there were unique correlates of antenatal depression in each group: physical abuse in Pakistani women (AOR=4.40:95% CI, 1.15-16.85), sexual abuse in Aboriginal women (AOR=3.02:95% CI, 1.09-8.40), and low income in Caucasian women (AOR=5.74:95% CI, 1.04-31.78).Conclusion: Depression is a substantial public health problem among pregnant women, with women in Pakistan having a much higher burden of antenatal depression than their Canadian counterparts.
