title: Self-rated health and postnatal depressive symptoms among immigrant mothers in Québec.
abstract: Data from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development were used to examine factors associated with postnatal depression and the links between self-rated health (SRH) and depressive symptoms in mothers 5 months after giving birth, according to immigration status. Postnatal depressive symptoms were measured using the 12-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Immigrant mothers were classified according to their ethnocultural (majority or minority) group and compared with Canadian-born mothers. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between SRH and depressive symptoms. The prevalence of high depressive symptoms was larger among immigrants from minority groups (24.7%) than among immigrants from majority groups (8.3%) and Canadian-born mothers 11.2%). SRH was associated with depressive symptoms among Canadian- born mothers, but not among minority immigrant mothers. Canadian- born mothers integrated mental health into their assessment of overall health status, however, depressive symptoms among minority immigrant mothers were common, and their determinants warrant further research.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Départment of Social and Préventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec. samiatahiri@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mechakra-Tahiri
authors.forename: Maria Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Zunzunegui
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seguin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology*; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000208:ethnology*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008603:Mental Health; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires