Additional evidence on prevalence and predictors of postpartum depression in China: A study of 300,000 puerperal women covered by a community-based routine screening programme

Background: Previous studies on the prevalence and predictors of postpartum depression (PPD) in China were mostly hospital-based with relatively small study samples. Basing on a routine screening programme, this study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with PPD at community level.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with all the women who delivered in a hospital and were screened for depression during routine postpartum home visits in Shenzhen between 2015 August and 2017 April. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used as the screening tool with a cut-off score of 10. Predictors of PPD were determined by Chi-square test and stepwise logistic regression.Results: Approximately 300,000 puerperal women were included in the study with a PPD prevalence of 4.3%. Prenatal anxiety and depression were associated with 4.55 and 3.80 times of PPD risk, respectively. Stressful life events, family history of mental illness, poor economic status, low Apgar scores and birth defects of the infants, bottle and mixed feeding, as well as living with parents-in-low after childbirth were related to moderate risk. Higher gravidity and parity, larger gestation age, prenatal education, and living with the women's own parents were associated with lower risk. Limitations: The large sample size might have suggested statistically significant differences which were not practical.Conclusions: The prevalence of PPD at community level is significantly lower than the rates detected within hospitals. Prenatal anxiety and depression are the most important predictors of PPD. Integrating depression screening into routine postpartum home visits facilitates achievement of universal coverage.