title: Missed Opportunities for Postpartum Behavioral and Psychosocial Health Care and Acceptability of Screening Options.
abstract: To examine occurrence of health care provider discussion of postpartum women's behavioral and psychosocial health, acceptability of screening, and access to a provider with whom to comfortably discuss sensitive topics.
  
  
  
  Mail survey during the first postpartum year.
  
  
  
  Community dwelling.
  
  
  
  Postpartum women (N = 168) from diverse backgrounds.
  
  
  
  Using vital records, we drew a random sample that was stratified on race/ethnicity and income from a Southwestern U.S. community. Potential participants were mailed a questionnaire about health care and screening in the areas of depression, diet, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol use during the postpartum period.
  
  
  
  Women reported that discussion of depression most often occurred (51%) during health care encounters, and discussion of weight least often occurred (14%). More than 94% of women indicated they would "welcome" or "not mind" screenings for depression, diet, physical activity, alcohol use, or smoking at health care visits. More than 90% welcomed screening during their infants' pediatric health care visits. Most (86%) reported that screening on an electronic device at their health care visits was acceptable. Most (84%) were interested in completing a screening at home on a Web site. Also, 58% of women without health insurance compared with 24% of those with insurance indicated that they lacked a health professional with whom they could comfortably discuss sensitive topics such as depression.
  
  
  
  Wide gaps exist in postpartum behavioral and psychosocial health care. Most women find a variety of screening settings and methods acceptable.
authors.forename: Lorraine O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Christina L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Murphey
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008403:Mass Screening; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: alcohol; depression; diet; physical activity; postpartum; screening; smoking; weight