title: Postnatal quality of life, depressive symptoms, and social support among women in southern India.
abstract: Evaluation of postnatal quality of life (QOL) has remained a poorly researched area in India. The present cross-sectional study assessed postnatal QOL, using the Mother Generated Index (MGI) and its associated risk factors, and was conducted during January-March 2013 among 274 mothers, 6-8 weeks postnatally. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics and social support. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and QOL using the MGI. The vast majority (90.1 percent) of respondents in our study had a primary MGI score <5, those with significantly higher prevalence of physical problems and psychological distress. A total of 39.8 percent of respondents were screened as having other (not major) depressive symptoms and 4.7 percent as having major depressive symptoms. Multiple regression analysis revealed that age (β = 0.033, p = .018) and socioeconomic status (β = 0.156, p < .001) were significantly positively associated with QOL, while increased depressive symptom scores (β = -0.075, p < .001) were significantly negatively associated with QOL. A wide spectrum of QOL aspects were reported, including physical, emotional, social, and economic concerns by the mothers. Prevention, evaluation, and treatment of postnatal depressive symptoms and impaired QOL are warranted, taking into account the role of various biopsychosocial risk factors and specific concerns raised by the mothers.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Community Medicine , Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences , Karimnagar , Telangana , India.
authors.forename: Trupti N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Bodhare
authors.forename: Pruthwiraj
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sethi
authors.forename: Samir D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Bele
authors.forename: Dasari
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gayatri
authors.forename: Achanta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vivekanand
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: depressive symptoms; postnatal quality of life; social support