Exploring the Relationship between Anemia and Postpartum Depression: Evidence from Malawi.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Study findings suggest association between anemia and postpartum depression, but available evidence is scant and inconsistent. We investigate whether anemia is related to postpartum depression among women who have recently given birth in Malawi, where anemia prevalence is high.

Methods

We use cross-sectional data from 829 women who were 18-36 years old, married, lived in Lilongwe, Malawi, and gave birth between August 2017 and February 2019. The primary outcome is postpartum depression in the year after birth, defined by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Anemia status was assessed using hemoglobin levels that were measured at the time of the interview. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the relationship between postpartum dep

SUBMITTER: Cheng Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9966145 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature