title: Maternal health needs and interest in screening for depression and health behaviors during pediatric visits.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aims were to assess postpartum health care barriers; health status (including depression and health behaviors); missed opportunities to discuss maternal health at health visits; acceptability of maternal screening in pediatric settings; and association of these variables with income level and race/ethnicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mail survey was used with names randomly drawn from birth files and balanced for race/ethnicity and income level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adjusted response rate was 27.6%, with 41% reporting one or more health care barrier(s), 22% screening positive for depression, and 30% screening positive for alcohol abuse. Women of lower income were eight times more likely than those of higher income to have health care barriers (adjusted odds ratio = 8.15; 95% confidence interval: 3.60, 18.44). Missed discussions of postpartum depression or behavioral health during pediatric or other health care visits ranged from 26% to 79%. Acceptability of discussing topics, including depression, smoking, and alcohol use at pediatric care visits generally exceeded 85%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postpartum women experienced income-associated barriers to health care and generally had favorable views about maternal screening in pediatric settings.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78701, USA. lwalker@mail.nur.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Lorraine O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Eun-Ok
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Diane O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Tyler
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers; D009819:Office Visits; D010372:Pediatrics; D055815:Young Adult