Assessment of prenatal depression among U.S. pregnant women without access to paid sick leave and regular place of care: National Health Interview Survey of U.S.-born and non-U.S.-born

Saanie Sulley; David Adzrago; Lohuwa Mamudu; Emmanuel A Odame; Paul H Atandoh; Ishmael Tagoe; David Ruggieri; Lisa Kahle; Faustine Williams

doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102322

Assessment of prenatal depression among U.S. pregnant women without access to paid sick leave and regular place of care: National Health Interview Survey of U.S.-born and non-U.S.-born

Prev Med Rep. 2023 Jul 14:35:102322. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102322. eCollection 2023 Oct.

Authors

Saanie Sulley¹, David Adzrago², Lohuwa Mamudu³, Emmanuel A Odame⁴, Paul H Atandoh⁵, Ishmael Tagoe⁶, David Ruggieri⁷, Lisa Kahle⁷, Faustine Williams²

Affiliations

¹ National Healthy Start Association, Washington, DC, USA.
² Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
³ Department of Public Health, California State University, Fullerton, CA, USA.
⁴ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
⁵ Department of Statistics, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA.
⁶ Division of Health Services, College of Nursing and Advanced Health Professions, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁷ Information Management Services, Inc., Calverton, MD, USA.

Abstract

Prenatal depression is one of the most common risks during pregnancy. This study examined the prevalence and likelihood of prenatal depression association with sociodemographic factors, paid sick leave, and place of care among U.S. pregnant women. We conducted bivariate Chi-square tests to assess the statistical difference and multivariable logistic regression models to assess the association of prenatal depression using the National Health Interview Survey, cross-sectional data from 2010 to 2019 of pregnant women aged 18-44 years (N = 957). The prevalence of prenatal depression was 40.6%, 28.5%, and 27.2% among White, Black, and other racial pregnant women, respectively. Pregnant women with no regular/routine place of care had a prenatal depression prevalence rate of 58.1%, and those without access to paid sick leave had 46.9%. Also, pregnant women without access to paid sick leave were found to have an increased likelihood of reporting prenatal depression ([adjusted odds ratio] AOR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.72-3.64), as well as those without a regular place of care (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.32-4.47). The findings identify factors that need to be addressed to minimize depression among U.S. pregnant women and establish the need for tailored interventions to address prenatal depression.

Keywords: Non-U.S.-born; Paid sick leave; Place of care; Prenatal depression; U.S.-born.