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VOLUME 13 , ISSUE 1 ( January-February, 2021 ) > List of Articles

Original Article

Prevalence and Determinants of Postpartum Anxiety among Women Availing Health Services at a Rural Maternity Hospital in South India

Christy Maria, Avita R Johnson, Priya M Prince, Aleena Rodrigues, Anu Lekha, Anju Elias

Citation Information : Maria C, Johnson AR, Prince PM, Rodrigues A, Lekha A, Elias A. Prevalence and Determinants of Postpartum Anxiety among Women Availing Health Services at a Rural Maternity Hospital in South India. J South Asian Feder Obs Gynae 2021; 13 (1):1-5.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10006-1858

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 01-02-2021

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2021; The Author(s).


Abstract

Introduction: Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. Though depression is the leading cause of disability for women worldwide, there is a paucity of literature regarding postpartum anxiety among rural Indian women. Aims and objectives: To estimate the prevalence of postpartum anxiety and its determinants among women availing health services at a rural maternity hospital in the Ramanagara district of south Karnataka. Materials and methods: The study included 231 postpartum women from the second day of delivery to 6 months postpartum attending the rural maternity hospital. Results: Our study consists of 46.7% of women belonging to 20–24 age-group and 76.2% belonging to lower middle/lower class. Prevalence of mild postpartum anxiety was found to be 88.17%, generalized anxiety being 10%, and severe anxiety as 1.3%. There was significant association between postpartum anxiety and depression (p-value = 0.00). Conclusion: There is a need for screening women for mental ill-health during and after pregnancy. National programs should include these assessments at the primary healthcare level.


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