Understanding women's experiences of distress during pregnancy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Prevalence and predictors of depression among women attending antenatal care in Moshi, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Antenatal depression in low-and middle-income countries is under-diagnosed and leads to poorer outcomes in the pregnancy and postpartum periods. The aim of this study was to quantify depressive symptoms among pregnant women in Moshi, Tanzania, and identify factors associated with probable depression.

METHODS

Between March and December 2019, we enrolled 1039 pregnant women attending their first antenatal care appointment at two government health facilities to complete an audio computer-assisted self-interview. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), with a score > 13 indicating probable depression. A log-binomial regression model was used to identify factors associated with probable antenatal depression.

RESULTS

A total of 11.5% (119/1033) met criteria for probable depression. Depression was more common among women who were not married (16.5% vs. 7.9%, PrR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.0, 2.1) and women who reported a lifetime history of violence (22.6% vs. 5.3%, PrR = 3.3, 95% CI 2.2, 5.0). Depression was less common among women who reported more partner-specific support (PrR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.87, 0.96).

CONCLUSIONS

Screening pregnant women for depressive symptoms is an essential component of evidence-based maternity care and should be accompanied by appropriate support and resources. Women who are not married, have limited support from a partner, or have experienced violence are especially vulnerable to depressive symptomatology during pregnancy.

Locally contextualizing understandings of depression, the EPDS, and PHQ-9 among a sample of postpartum women living with HIV in Malawi

BACKGROUND

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) are widely used depression screening tools, yet perceptions and understandings of their questions and of depression are not well defined in cross-cultural research.

METHODS

30 postpartum women living with HIV in Malawi were recruited from a cohort study and participated in in-depth cognitive interviews. Transcripts were evaluated following an inductive approach to identify common themes.

RESULTS

Participants most frequently described looking sad or different than usual, self-isolation, 'thinking too much,' and anger as key symptoms of being depressed. HIV-associated stigma was commonly identified as a cause of depression. The EPDS and PHQ-9 were generally well understood but did not capture all the important symptoms of depression that women described. Participants sometimes requested clarification or rephrasing of certain EPDS and PHQ-9 questions when asked to explain the questions' meanings in their own words, and requested rephrasing more often for EPDS questions than PHQ-9 questions. Few women believed either tool was sufficient to detect depression.

LIMITATIONS

Our results may not be generalizable, but are locally contextualized. Women suffering with depression may have been more or less likely to agree to the qualitative interview depending on their comfort level discussing any current depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Researchers and practitioners who use the EPDS and PHQ-9 should be aware of the tools' limitations in their context and population. New instruments may need to be developed or adaptations to existing tools made to improve accuracy of depression screening and diagnosis in different cultural contexts.

Beyond severe acute maternal morbidity: a mixed-methods study on the long-term consequences of (severe pre-)eclampsia in rural Tanzania

OBJECTIVES

To explore the long-term (perceived) consequences of (severe pre-)eclampsia in rural Tanzania.

METHODS

Women were traced for this mixed-methods study 6-7 years after the diagnosis of (severe pre-)eclampsia. Demographic and obstetric characteristics were noted, and blood pressure was recorded. Questionnaires were used to assess physical and mental health. The qualitative part consisted of semi-structured interviews (SSI). A reference group consisted of women without hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

RESULTS

Of 74 patients, 25 (34%) were available for follow-up, and 24 were included. Five (20%) had suffered from (pre-)eclampsia twice. Hypertension was more common after (pre-)eclampsia than in the reference group (29% vs. 13%). Thirteen women (56%) had feelings of anxiety and depression, compared to 30% in the reference group. In SSIs, experiences during the index pregnancy were explored, as well as body functions, reproductive life course and limitations in daily functioning, which were shown to be long-lasting.

CONCLUSIONS

Women who suffered from (severe pre-)eclampsia may experience long-term sequelae, including hypertension, depression and anxiety. Women lack information about their condition, and some are worried to conceive again. To address their specific needs, a strategy along the continuum of care is needed for women following a complicated pregnancy, starting with a late postnatal care visit 6 weeks after giving birth.

Perinatal mental distress in a rural Ethiopian community: a critical examination of psychiatric labels

BACKGROUND

Perinatal mental distress poses a heavy burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study investigated perceptions and experiences of perinatal mental distress among women in a rural Ethiopian community, in an effort to advance understanding of cross-cultural experiences of perinatal mental distress.

METHODS

We employed a sequential explanatory study design. From a population-based cohort study of 1065 perinatal women in the Butajira Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, we purposively selected 22 women according to their scores on a culturally validated assessment of perinatal mental distress (the Self-Reporting Questionnaire). We examined concordance and discordance between qualitative semi-structured interview data ('emic' perspective) and the layperson-administered fully-structured questionnaire data ('etic' perspective) of perinatal mental distress. We analysed the questionnaire data using summary statistics and we carried out a thematic analysis of the qualitative data.

RESULTS

Most women in this setting recognised the existence of perinatal mental distress states, but did not typically label such distress as a discrete illness. Instead, perinatal mental distress states were mostly seen as non-pathological reactions to difficult circumstances. The dominant explanatory model of perinatal mental distress was as a response to poverty, associated with inadequate food, isolation, and hopelessness. Support from family and friends, both emotional and instrumental support, was regarded as vital in protecting against mental distress. Although some women considered their distress amenable to biomedical solution, many thought medical help-seeking was inappropriate. Integration of perspectives from the questionnaire and semi-structured interviews highlighted the important role of somatic symptoms and nutritional status. It also demonstrated the differential likelihood of endorsement of symptoms when screening tools versus in-depth interviews are used.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of the wider social context within which mental health problems are situated, specificially the inseparability of mental health from gender disadvantage, physical health and poverty. This implies that public health prevention strategies, assessments and interventions for perinatal distress should be developed from the bottom-up, taking account of local contexts and explanatory frameworks.

The value of hope: development and validation of a contextual measure of hope among people living with HIV in urban Tanzania a mixed methods exploratory sequential study

BACKGROUND

Hope or hopefulness enhances coping and improves quality of life in persons with chronic or incurable illnesses. Lack of hope is associated with depression and anxiety, which impact negatively on quality of life. In Tanzania, where HIV prevalence is high, the rates of depression and anxiety are over four times higher among people living with HIV (PLH) compared to persons not infected and contribute annual mortality among PLH. Tanzania has a shortage of human resources for mental health, limiting access to mental health care. Evidence-based psychosocial interventions can complement existing services and improve access to quality mental health services in the midst of human resource shortages. Facilitating hope can be a critical element of non-pharmacological interventions which are underutilized, partly due to limited awareness and lack of hope measures, adapted to accommodate cultural context and perspectives of PLH. To address this gap, we developed and validated a local hope measure among PLH in Tanzania.

METHODS

Two-phased mixed methods exploratory sequential study among PLH. Phase I was Hope-related items identification using deductive, inductive approaches and piloting. Phase II was an evaluation of psychometric properties at baseline and 24 months. Classical test theory, exploratory, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used.

RESULTS

Among 722 PLH, 59% were women, mean age was 39.3 years, and majority had primary school level of education. A total of 40 hope items were reduced to 10 in a three-factor solution, explaining 69% of variance at baseline, and 93% at follow-up. Internal consistency Cronbach's alpha was 0.869 at baseline and 0.958 at follow-up. The three-factor solution depicted: positive affect; cognition of effectiveness of HIV care; and goals/plans/ future optimism. Test-retest reliability was good (r = 0.797) and a number of indices were positive for CFA model fit, including Comparative Fit Index of 0.984.

CONCLUSION

The developed local hope scale had good internal reliability, validity, and its dimensionality was confirmed against expectations. The fewer items for hope assessment argue well for its use in busy clinical settings to improve HIV care in Tanzania. Hope in this setting could be more than cognitive goal thinking, pathway and motivation warranting more research.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The intervention was registered in USA ClinicalTrials.gov on September 26, 2012, Registration number: NCT01693458.

What maternal morbidities are and what they mean for women: A thematic analysis of twenty years of qualitative research in low and lower-middle income countries

Background

With an estimated 27 million annual incidents of maternal morbidity globally, how they are manifested or experienced is diverse and shaped by societal, cultural and personal influences. Using qualitative research to examine a woman's perception of her pregnancy, its complications, and potential long-term impact on her life can inform public health approaches and complement and inform biomedical classifications of maternal morbidities, historically considered a neglected dimension of safe motherhood. As part of the WHO’s Maternal Morbidity Working Group’s efforts to define and measure maternal morbidity, we carried out a thematic analysis of the qualitative literature published between 1998 and 2017 on how women experience maternal morbidity in low and lower-middle income countries.

Results and conclusions

Analysis of the 71 papers included in this study shows that women’s status, their marital relationships, cultural attitudes towards fertility and social responses to infertility and pregnancy trauma are fundamental to determining how they will experience morbidity in the pregnancy and postpartum periods. We explore the physical, economic, psychological and social repercussions pregnancy can produce for women, and how resource disadvantage (systemic, financial and contextual) can exacerbate these problems. In addition to an analysis of ten themes that emerged across the different contexts, this paper presents which morbidities have received attention in different regions and the trends in researching morbidities over time. We observed an increase in qualitative research on this topic, generally undertaken through interviews and focus groups. Our analysis calls for the pursuit of high quality qualitative research that includes repeat interviews, participant observation and triangulation of sources to inform and fuel critical advocacy and programmatic work on maternal morbidities that addresses their prevention and management, as well as the underlying systemic problems for women’s status in society.

Performance of the 3-item screener, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-15 and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire and Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire, in screening of depression in antenatal clinics in the Blantyre district of Malawi

Background

Screening instruments for antenatal depression vary in performance. This study aimed at assessing the performance of a range of screening instruments in detecting depressive symptoms in antenatal clinics in Blantyre district, Malawi.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted to screen for depression among women attending 8 selected antenatal clinics in Blantyre district using 3-item screener, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-15 (HSCL-15), Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) and Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire (PRQ). The instruments were administered to a random sample of 480 pregnant women. Data were analysed using SPSS 22.0 testing for performance differences in proportions of screen positives and how screen positive results might differ by particular variables.

Results

The prevalence estimates yielded by screening instruments ranged from 12.9% (SRQ) to 42.1% (3-item screener). There were no significant differences in prevalence estimates for EPDS, HSCL-15, PRQ and SRQ. There were performance differences in the proportions of screen positives with significant systematic differences between proportions of screen positives of PRQ and SRQ (p<.001), EPDS and HSCL-15 (p=.001), HSCL and PRQ (p<.001), and EPDS and SRQ (p<.001). Screen positive results on HSCL-15, PRQ, 3-item screener and EPDS were found to differ by variables such as “not being supported by partner” which resulted in respondents having ≥3 times chances to screen positive on these four instruments. The screen positive results on SRQ were found not to differ by age, education, employment status, marital status, setting, gestation and number of pregnancies.

Conclusions

There were minimal variations in the performance of the EPDS, SRQ and HSCL-15 as standard public health screening instruments. However, systematic differences between proportions of screen positives exist and screen positive results from these instruments differed by demographics. It is important to validate screening instruments against a gold standard to ensure relevant clinical outcomes for pregnant women with depression.

Improved postpartum care after a participatory facilitation intervention in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a mixed method evaluation

Background: In order to improve the health and survival of mothers/newborns, the quality and attendance rates of postpartum care (PPC) must be increased, particularly in low-resource settings.

Objective: To describe outcomes of a collegial facilitation intervention to improve PPC in government-owned health institutions in a low-resource suburb in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Methods: A before-and-after evaluation of an intervention and comparison group was conducted using mixed methods (focus group discussions, questionnaires, observations, interviews, and field-notes) at health institutions. Maternal and child health aiders, enrolled nurse midwives, registered nurse midwives, and medical and clinical officers participated. A collegial facilitation intervention was conducted and healthcare providers were organized in teams to improve PPC at their workplaces. Facilitators defined areas of improvement with colleagues and met regularly with a supervisor for support.

Results: The number of mothers visiting the institution for PPC increased in the intervention group. Some care actions were noted in more than 80% of the observations and mothers reported high satisfaction with care. In the comparison group, PPC continued to be next to non-existent. The healthcare providers’ knowledge increased in both groups but was higher in the intervention group. The t-test showed a significant difference in knowledge between the intervention and comparison groups and between before and after the intervention in both groups. The difference of differences for knowledge was 1.3. The providers perceived the intervention outcomes to include growing professional confidence/knowledge, improved PPC quality, and mothers’ positive response. The quality grading was based on the national guidelines and involved nine experts and showed that none of the providers reached the level of good quality of care.

Conclusions: The participatory facilitation intervention contributed to improved quality of PPC, healthcare providers’ knowledge and professional confidence, awareness of PPC among mothers, and increased PPC attendance.

Implementation of a facilitation intervention to improve postpartum care in a low-resource suburb of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Background

Implementation of evidence into practice is inadequate in many low-income countries, contributing to the low-quality care of mothers and newborns. This study explored strategies used in a facilitation intervention to improve postpartum care (IPPC) in a low-resource suburb in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The intervention was conducted during 1 year in government-owned health institutions providing reproductive and child health services. The institutions were divided into six clusters based on geographic proximity, and the healthcare providers of postpartum care (PPC) (n = 100) in these institutions formed IPPC teams. Each team was supported by a locally recruited facilitator who was trained in PPC, group dynamics, and quality improvement. The IPPC teams reflected on their practices, identified problems and solutions for improving PPC, enacted change, and monitored the adopted actions.

Methods

A qualitative design was employed using data from focus group discussions with healthcare providers (n = 8) and facilitators (n = 2), and intervention documentation. The discussions were conducted in Kiswahili, lasted for 45–90 min, were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. Thematic analysis guided the analysis.

Results

Four main strategies were identified in the data: (1) Increasing awareness and knowledge of PPC by HCPs and mothers was an overarching strategy applied in training, meetings, and clinical practice; (2) The mobilization of professional and material resources was achieved through unleashing of the IPPC teams’ own potential to conduct PPC and act as change agents; (3) Improving documentation and communication; and (4) Promoting an empowering and collaborative working style were other strategies applied to improve daily care routines. The facilitators encouraged teamwork and networking among IPPC teams within and between institutions.

Conclusion

This facilitation intervention is a promising approach for implementing evidence and improving quality of PPC in a low-resource setting. Context-specific actions taken by the facilitators and healthcare providers are likely integral to the successfulness of implementing evidence into practice. The results contribute to increasing the understanding of facilitation as an intervention and can be useful for researchers, HCPs, and policymakers when improving quality of postpartum care, particularly in low-income settings.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13012-018-0794-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Maternal Psychological Distress and Perceived Impact on Child Feeding Practices in South Kivu, DR Congo

BACKGROUND

Maternal mental health problems are associated with poor child growth and suboptimal child feeding practices, yet little qualitative research has been conducted to understand mothers' perceptions about how maternal mental ill health and child nutrition are related.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to understand maternal perceptions on sources of psychological distress, and how distress impacts functioning, especially related to childcare and feeding practices among mothers of young children in South Kivu, DR Congo.

METHODS

Mothers of young children who were participating in a larger study were eligible. Using purposive sampling, participants were selected if they had high or low levels of psychological distress, based on their mean item score on measures of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Twenty in-depth interviews and 2 focus group discussions were conducted, with a total of 35 mothers. Key informant interviews were conducted with 5 local health workers. Audio recordings were transcribed and coded, and the analysis was guided by Grounded Theory methodology.

RESULTS

Major themes to emerge were that women's husbands were a significant source of distress, with husbands' infidelity, abandonment, and lack of financial support mentioned by participants. Psychological distress resulted in appetite and weight loss, and poor nutritional status made it difficult to breastfeed. Participants perceived psychological distress caused milk insufficiency and difficulty breastfeeding.

CONCLUSION

Mothers experiencing psychological distress may need greater support for maternal nutrition and breastfeeding, and engaging fathers through responsible parenting interventions may reduce psychological distress and have a positive impact on child health.

How is depression experienced around the world? A systematic review of qualitative literature

To date global research on depression has used assessment tools based on research and clinical experience drawn from Western populations (i.e., in North American, European and Australian). There may be features of depression in non-Western populations which are not captured in current diagnostic criteria or measurement tools, as well as criteria for depression that are not relevant in other regions. We investigated this possibility through a systematic review of qualitative studies of depression worldwide. Nine online databases were searched for records that used qualitative methods to study depression. Initial searches were conducted between August 2012 and December 2012; an updated search was repeated in June of 2015 to include relevant literature published between December 30, 2012 and May 30, 2015. No date limits were set for inclusion of articles. A total of 16,130 records were identified and 138 met full inclusion criteria. Included studies were published between 1976 and 2015. These 138 studies represented data on 170 different study populations (some reported on multiple samples) and 77 different nationalities/ethnicities. Variation in results by geographical region, gender, and study context were examined to determine the consistency of descriptions across populations. Fisher's exact tests were used to compare frequencies of features across region, gender and context. Seven of the 15 features with the highest relative frequency form part of the DSM-5 diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). However, many of the other features with relatively high frequencies across the studies are associated features in the DSM, but are not prioritized as diagnostic criteria and therefore not included in standard instruments. The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria of problems with concentration and psychomotor agitation or slowing were infrequently mentioned. This research suggests that the DSM model and standard instruments currently based on the DSM may not adequately reflect the experience of depression at the worldwide or regional levels.

"If really we are committed things can change, starting from us": Healthcare providers' perceptions of postpartum care and its potential for improvement in low-income suburbs in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

OBJECTIVE

To explore healthcare providers' perceptions of the current postpartum care (PPC) practice and its potential for improvement at governmental health institutions in low-resource suburbs in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

DESIGN

Qualitative design, using focus group discussions (8) and qualitative content analysis.

SETTING

Healthcare institutions (8) at three levels of governmental healthcare in Ilala and Temeke suburbs, Dar es Salaam.

PARTICIPANTS

Registered, enrolled and trained nurse-midwives (42); and medical and clinical officers (13).

RESULTS

The healthcare providers perceived that PPC was suboptimal and that they could have prevented maternal deaths. PPC was fragmented at understaffed institutions, lacked guidelines and was organized in a top-down structure of leadership. The participants called for improvement of: organization of space, time, resources, communication and referral system; providers' knowledge; and supervision and feedback. Their motivation to enhance PPC quality was high.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

The HCP awareness of the suboptimal quality of PPC, its potential for promoting health and their willingness to engage in improving care are promising for the implementation of interventions to improve quality of care. Provision of guidelines, sensitization of providers to innovate and maximize utilization of existing resources, and supportive supervision and feedback are likely to contribute to the sustainability of any improvement.

Changes in work behavior during pregnancy in rural Anhui, China from 2001-03 to 2009: a population based cross-sectional study

Background

In low- and middle-income countries, many women continue working later into pregnancy. In our recent study on some areas in rural China, most women stopped working already during the first trimester (≤3 months) of pregnancy. In this paper we aimed to explore whether stopping work during early pregnancy has changed over an 8 year period (between 2001–03 and 2009); we also studied whether the reasons for stopping work early were the same in the two time periods.

Methods

A population-based cross-sectional survey with a representative sample of new mothers was carried out in one rural county in Anhui Province in 2001–03 (N = 1479 respondents) and in two other rural counties in 2009 (N = 1574 respondents). Both surveys were used to evaluate prenatal care interventions not related to work behavior. The surveys targeted all women who had recently given birth. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to examine the determinants of work behavior in the two time periods.

Results

There was a big change in the working behavior between the two survey years: in the period 2001–03 6 % and in 2009, 53 % of pregnant women stopped working at ≤3 months (percentage change 839, 95 % CI −15.90 to 1694.49). In 2001–03, 30 % and in 2009, 23 % of pregnant women worked the same as before pregnancy (percentage change −22.30, 95 % CI −90.28 to 45.68). In both time periods women with two children were less likely to stop work at ≤3 months of pregnancy. Non-farmers were more likely in 2001–03 but less likely in 2009 to stop work at ≤3 months of pregnancy. Women with medium township-level income were more likely to maintain the same level of work as before pregnancy in 2001–03, while in 2009 women with high township-level income were less likely to work the same.

Conclusion

Stopping work very early during pregnancy appeared to have become very common from 2001–3 to 2009 in rural Anhui, China and was not explained by women’s background characteristics.

'I was thinking too much': experiences of HIV-positive adults with common mental disorders and poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy in Zimbabwe

OBJECTIVE

To document the lived experiences of people with both poor mental health and suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy in high HIV prevalence settings.

METHODS

In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 47 (female = 31) HIV-positive adults who scored above the cut-point on a locally validated scale for common mental disorders (CMDs). Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants with evidence of poor adherence. Six additional key informant interviews (female = 6) were conducted with healthcare workers. Data were collected and analysed inductively by an interdisciplinary coding team.

RESULTS

The major challenges faced by participants were stressors (poverty, stigma, marital problems) and symptoms of CMDs ('thinking too much', changes to appetite and sleep, 'burdened heart' and low energy levels). Thinking too much, which appears closely related to rumination, was the symptom with the greatest negative impact on adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive adults with CMDs. In turn, thinking too much was commonly triggered by the stressors faced by people living with HIV/AIDS, especially poverty. Finally, participants desired private counselling, access to income-generating activities and family engagement in mental health care.

CONCLUSIONS

Better understanding of the local expression of mental disorders and of underlying stressors can inform the development of culturally sensitive interventions to reduce CMDs and poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy.

Reflechi twòp--thinking too much: description of a cultural syndrome in Haiti's Central Plateau

A rich Haitian ethnopsychology has been described, detailing concepts of personhood, explanatory models of illness, and links between mind and body. However, little research has engaged explicitly with mental illness, and that which does focuses on the Kreyòl term fou (madness), a term that psychiatrists associate with schizophrenia and other psychoses. More work is needed to characterize potential forms of mild-to-moderate mental illness. Idioms of distress provide a promising avenue for exploring common mental disorders. Working in Haiti's Central Plateau, we aimed to identify idioms of distress that represent cultural syndromes. We used ethnographic and epidemiologic methods to explore the idiom of distress reflechi twòp (thinking too much). This syndrome is characterized by troubled rumination at the intersection of sadness, severe mental disorder, suicide, and social and structural hardship. Persons with "thinking too much" have greater scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory. "Thinking too much" is associated with 8 times greater odds of suicidal ideation. Untreated "thinking too much" is sometimes perceived to lead to psychosis. Recognizing and understanding "thinking too much" may allow early clinical recognition and interventions to reduce long-term psychosocial suffering in Haiti's Central Plateau.

Prevalence and correlates of common mental disorders among mothers of young children in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania

Background

Although poor maternal mental health is a major public health problem, with detrimental effects on the individual, her children and society, information on its correlates in low-income countries is sparse.

Aims

This study investigates the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD) among at-risk mothers, and explores its associations with sociodemographic factors.

Methods

This population-based survey of mothers of children aged 0–36 months used the 14-item Shona Symptom Questionnaire (SSQ). Mothers whose response was “yes” to 8 or more items on the scale were defined as “at risk of CMD.”

Results

Of the 1,922 mothers (15–48 years), 28.8% were at risk of CMD. Risk of CMD was associated with verbal abuse, physical abuse, a partner who did not help with the care of the child, being in a polygamous relationship, a partner with low levels of education, and a partner who smoked cigarettes. Cohabiting appeared to be protective.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results indicate the significance of the quality of relations with one’s partner in shaping maternal mental health. The high proportion of mothers who are at risk of CMD emphasizes the importance of developing evidence-based mental health programmes as part of the care package aimed at improving maternal well-being in Tanzania and other similar settings.

Prolonged sexual abstinence after childbirth: gendered norms and perceived family health risks. Focus group discussions in a Tanzanian suburb

Background

Prolonged sexual abstinence after childbirth is a socio-cultural practice with health implications, and is described in several African countries, including Tanzania. This study explored discourses on prolonged postpartum sexual abstinence in relation to family health after childbirth in low-income suburbs of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Methods

Data for the discourse analysis were collected through focus group discussions with first-time mothers and fathers and their support people in Ilala, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Results

In this setting, prolonged sexual abstinence intended at promoting child health was the dominant discourse in the period after childbirth. Sexual relations after childbirth involved the control of sexuality for ensuring family health and avoiding the social implications of non-adherence to sexual abstinence norms. Both abstinence and control were emphasised more with regard to women than to men. Although the traditional discourse on prolonged sexual abstinence for protecting child health was reproduced in Ilala, some modern aspects such as the use of condoms and other contraceptives prevailed in the discussion.

Conclusion

Discourses on sexuality after childbirth are instrumental in reproducing gender-power inequalities, with women being subjected to more restrictions and control than men are. Thus, interventions that create openness in discussing sexual relations and health-related matters after childbirth and mitigate gendered norms suppressing women and perpetuating harmful behaviours are needed. The involvement of males in the interventions would benefit men, women, and children through improving the gender relations that promote family health.

Traditional Chinese Pregnancy Restrictions, Health-Related Quality of Life and Perceived Stress among Pregnant Women in Macao, China

PURPOSE

The objectives of this study were to identify the prevalence and rationales of traditional Chinese pregnancy restrictions and to investigate the relationship between pregnancy restriction, health-related quality of life, and perceived stress level at a two-stage design.

METHODS

Stage I consisted of exploring the traditional Chinese pregnancy restrictions and their underlying beliefs based on extensive literature review followed by in-depth interviews with 30 pregnant women. Stage II investigated the relationship between pregnancy restrictions, health-related quality of life, and perceived stress among 1,151 women. Self-developed traditional Chinese pregnancy restrictions lists were measured on adherence towards the traditional Chinese pregnancy restriction. Perceived stress and health-related quality of life were measured by the Perceived Stress Scale and the Short Form-12 (SF-12) Health Survey, respectively.

RESULTS

The majority of the women adhered to traditional Chinese pregnancy restrictions in order to protect the unborn child from danger and to avoid the problems associated pregnancy and birth, such as miscarriage, stillbirth, death of the mother, and imperfections in the newborn. Pregnant women who adhered to behavioral restrictions were more likely to associate with poor physical component of health-related quality of life. However, there was no significant difference between pregnancy restrictions and Perceived Stress Scale scores.

CONCLUSION

The findings provided cultural rationales of pregnancy restrictions within a Macao context that may assist health professionals to better understand women from different cultures. It is essential in the development of culturally appropriate healthcare to support women in making a healthy transition to motherhood.

The prevalence and clinical presentation of antenatal depression in rural South Africa

BACKGROUND

Although the prevalence of depression is similar in pregnant, postpartum and non-pregnant women, the onset of new depression is higher during the perinatal period. Women of low-income, and those living in low and middle income countries, are known to be at particularly high risk. Early identification and treatment of antenatal depression may improve pregnancy outcomes and could serve as an early indicator of postnatal depression. Culturally sensitive and accurate diagnostic tools are urgently needed.

METHODS

A consecutive series of 109 pregnant women were recruited in the third trimester at a primary health clinic, in a rural part of South Africa, with a high HIV prevalence. A cross sectional assessment of depression was completed using a structured clinical interview method and DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Qualitative data on women's descriptions of depressive symptoms was also collected. The aim was to examine the prevalence of depression and to better understand the presentation of depressive symptomatology in this population.

RESULTS

Prevalence of depression was high, 51/109 (47%), with over half of the depressed women 34/51(67%) reporting episode duration greater than two months. 8/51 reported a prior history of depression. Women used psychological language to describe symptoms and, as a result, standardised diagnostic tools were culturally sensitive. Somatic pregnancy symptoms were frequently reported, but did not overestimate depression. Both HIV positive (27/51) and HIV negative (24/51) women were at risk of being depressed.

LIMITATIONS

The study is limited by the small sample size and possible attrition biases.

CONCLUSION

Antenatal depression is high and clinical presentation is similar to high income countries. Standardised diagnostic tools are culturally sensitive and adequate for early detection.