Mulugeta Y, Mohammed AA, Ibrahim IM, Getachew G, Ahmed KY. Postpartum depression and associated factors in Afar Region, northeast Ethiopia.
Heliyon 2023;
9:e19914. [PMID:
37809513 PMCID:
PMC10559328 DOI:
10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19914]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
To effectively address the burden of postpartum depression (PPD), it is crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of its magnitude and the factors associated with it in the pastoral and hot region of the Afar Region. This will help identify the progress made thus far and highlight areas that require further attention to accelerate efforts toward reducing the impact of PPD. Notably, no previous study has examined the prevalence and associated factors of PPD specifically in pastoral communities within Ethiopia, including the Afar Region. Accordingly, we investigated the prevalence and associated factors of PPD among postpartum women in the Afar Region, Northeast Ethiopia.
Methods
An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Awsi Rasu Zone of Afar Regional State from June to July 2021. The study employed a systematic random sampling method to select a total of 302 postpartum mothers who had visited the Expanded Program of Immunisation (EPI) clinics in public health facilities within the Awsi Rasu Zone of the Afar Region. The measurement of PPD was performed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Multivariable binary logistic regression modelling was used to investigate associations between sociodemographic, obstetric and health service, and psychosocial factors with PPD.
Results
The overall prevalence of PPD was 37.4% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) from 32.0% to 43.0%. Postpartum women who attained high school education were associated with a lower odds of PPD compared to those who did not attain formal schooling (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.82). Postpartum women with a family history of mental illness (AOR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.24, 4.41), those who had trouble in infant feeding (AOR = 4.26; 95% CI: 2.32, 7.83), and those who experienced intimate partner violence (AOR = 3.09; 95% CI: 1.58, 6.04) were positively associated with PPD.
Conclusion
The results of our study revealed that the prevalence of PPD in the Awsi Rasu Zone of the Afar Region is higher than both the national and global averages. The findings also highlighted the need for targeted interventions addressing the needs of pastoral postpartum women who experience various stressors, such as feeding difficulties and intimate partner violence.
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