One in Four Mothers Suffer from Postpartum Depression in Adama Town, Central Oromia Region of Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study



Medina Jarso1, Meyrema Abdo1, Ephrem Mannekulih1, Kababa Temesgen Danusa3, Melda Tefera2, Haymanot Mezmur2, *, Kedir Teji Roba2
1 Department of Public Health, Adama Hospital Medical College, Adama, Ethiopia
2 School of Nursing and Midwifery, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
3 Departments of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Science, Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background:

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major public health problem that affects mothers after childbirth and can last up to a year. However, research on the size and correlates related to postpartum depression in mothers following childbirth in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area, is limited. Thus, the goal of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors for postpartum depression in Adama Town, Central Oromia, Ethiopia.

Methods:

A facility-based cross-sectional study was undertaken on 416 mothers receiving postpartum care from October 1st to December 31st, 2020. The study participants were chosen via systematic random sampling. Face-to-face interviews with semi-structured questionnaires were utilized to collect data, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was employed to measure postpartum depression. STATA Version 17 was used to analyze the data. To examine the relationship between postpartum depression and explanatory variables, a logistic regression model was utilized. The adjusted odds ratio was presented, along with the 95% confidence interval (CI). A statistically significant association was defined as a p-value less than 0.05.

Results:

The prevalence of postpartum depression was 25% (95% confidence interval: (21.1% - 29.2%). Previous history of depression (AOR=3.07, 95% CI: 3.84 - 5.15), an unhappy marital relationship (AOR=2.0, 95% CI: 1.09 - 3.68), a lack of partner support (AOR=2.41, 95% CI: 1.29 - 4.48), and intimate partner violence during pregnancy (AOR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.06 - 3.37) were identified as risk factors for postpartum depression.

Conclusion:

Postpartum depression symptoms affect one out of every four women who received postnatal care during the study period. Early detection and treatment of postpartum depression in women during antenatal visits should be prioritized, and interventions that target the causes above would help to alleviate the problem.

Keywords: Postpartum depression, Mothers, Magnitude, Factors, Ethiopia, Public health problem.

Abstract Information


Identifiers and Pagination:

Year: 2023
Volume: 16
DOI: 10.2174/18749445-v16-e230714-2022-220

Article History:

Electronic publication date: 14/07/2023
Collection year: 2023

© 2023 Jarso et al.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.


* Address correspondence to this author at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia; E-mail: mezmurhaymanot@yahoo.com