Abstract
Postnatal depressive symptoms are an important maternal health concern, and their associations with sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinical characteristics may vary across populations. This study assessed the prevalence and severity of depressive symptoms and examined associated factors among postnatal women in Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 161 postnatal women attending five selected primary healthcare facilities. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS≥13). Associations between depressive symptoms and selected characteristics were examined using bivariate tests and multivariable logistic regression, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Overall, 35 women (21.7%) screened positive for depressive symptoms, while 88 (54.7%) were classified as unlikely to have depression and 38 (23.6%) as having possible depression. Bivariate analyses revealed no statistically significant associations between depressive symptoms and marital status (p = 0.063), Body Mass Index (BMI) category (p = 0.753), educational attainment (p = 0.339), alcohol consumption (p = 0.267), pregnancy intention (p = 1.000), Mid-upper Arm Circumference (p = 0.576), employment status (p = 0.553), sleep quality (p = 0.801) or social support (p = 0.565). Similarly, none of the predictors included in the multivariable logistic regression model was independently associated with depressive symptoms. The overall model was not statistically significant (p = 0.662), with a Nagelkerke (R2) of 0.107. The findings of this study therefore show that approximately one in five postnatal women screened positive for depressive symptoms. Although the characteristics examined were not significantly associated with the outcome, the findings underscore the importance of assessing maternal mental health during postnatal care. Larger studies incorporating broader psychosocial and clinical factors are needed to further investigate potential determinants of postnatal depressive symptoms among postnatal women.
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