title: Assessment of burden of depression during pregnancy among pregnant women residing in rural setting of chennai.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression during perinatal period leads to adverse pregnancy outcome and of child growth. Our study aimed to examine the burden of antenatal depression and associated risk factors among pregnant women living in rural settings of Chennai, a southern state of India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural settings of Chennai, one of the Southern States of India during August through September 2013. Hundred pregnant women who agreed to participate were enrolled in this study. Edinburg postnatal depression scale was used to assess the depression level of the study participants. Information was also gathered about socio-demographics, obstetric and disease history, social support and marital satisfaction was gathered. Descriptive analysis was performed using univariate statistics to report means and standard deviations for the continuous variables and frequency distribution for the categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Majority of the participants (65%) had scored 13 or higher on the Edinburg Depression Scale reflecting high likelihood of depression. Majority of the participants (66%) had been bothered due to low feeling, depressed or hopelessness during the previous month. Enriched marital satisfaction scale (p=.025) had shown significant association with Edinburg depression scale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pregnancy is very crucial period not only for mother but whole family. This study has shown very high frequency of depression among the participants. There is a need for a longitudinal study to design interventions that can address emerging burden of antenatal depression among pregnant women living in rural settings.
authors.affiliation: MBBS Student, Saveetha Young Medical Researchers Group (SYMRG), Saveetha Medical College & Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saveetha University, Saveetha Nagar , Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India .
authors.forename: Nivetha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.affiliation: Public Health Researcher, Department of Public Health, Foundation of Healthcare Technologies Society , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Shruti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murthy
authors.affiliation: Public Health Researcher, Department of Public Health, Foundation of Healthcare Technologies Society , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Awnish K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Public Health Researcher, Department of Public Health, Foundation of Healthcare Technologies Society , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Vandana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor & Vice Principal, Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Medical College & Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saveetha University, Saveetha Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Foundation of Healthcare Technologies Society , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Surapaneni Krishna
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.affiliation: Assistant Dean and Associate Professor, Department of Public Health, CUNY School of Public Health , New York, USA .
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Joshi
keywords: Antenatal; Marital satisfaction; Pregnancy; Rural