DEPRESSION IN PREGNANT WOMEN : RELATIONSHIP FACTORS AND EFFECT OF BODY IMAGE ON DEPRESSION

Purpose: Depression is an important problem that needs to be taken into consideration, since it affects maternal and infant health. This study was conducted to determine the depressive symptoms of pregnant women and investigate their body image and some related factors. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional design was used in the study, and it was conducted with the participation of 520 pregnant women in Turkiye. The data collection tools included the Personal Information Form, Beck's Depression Inventory, and Body Cathexis Scale. Results: In the study, 24.6% of the pregnant women have depressive symptoms. Pregnant women's low educational level, poor income, chronic diseases, "low" BMI, and whether they smoke or not were found to be related factors to depressive symptoms (p<0.05). Besides, pregnant women with depressive symptoms have lower body image satisfaction (p<0.05). The study found that body image affects depressive symptoms in the ratio of 0.971 times (Beta: -0.029; p<0.05). Conclusion: This study presented that one-fourth of pregnant women have depressive symptoms. It was found that pregnant women's low educational level, poor income, chronic diseases, and low BMI score and whether they smoke or not are the factors related to the depressive symptoms. Besides, body image is a risk factor affecting the depressive symptoms for pregnant women.