Thayer Zaneta M, Gildner Theresa E
Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.
Ecology, Evolution, Ecosystem and Society Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.
Am J Hum Biol. 2021 May;33(3):e23508. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.23508. Epub 2020 Sep 22.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented levels of unemployment and financial strain for many Americans. Among the individuals impacted by financial strain are pregnant women, for whom added financial stress may be particularly impactful due to the costs associated with prenatal care and providing for a newborn. Financial stress has been previously associated with elevated depression symptoms among pregnant women, which could have significant impacts on birth outcomes and long-term offspring health. However, the impacts of COVID-19-associated financial stress on maternal depression in pregnancy has not been investigated.
Here, we evaluated whether COVID-19-associated financial stress was associated with increased likelihood of a clinically significant depression score (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score ≥ 15) among pregnant women living in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data come from an online survey administered to a convenience sample in April 2020 (N = 2099).
Forty-three percent of participants reported experiencing financial stress as a result of the pandemic, while 24% of participants had a clinically significant depression score. COVID-19-related financial stress was significantly associated with increased likelihood of a clinically significant depression score, even after adjustment for covariates including participant education and income (adjusted Odds Ratio: 2.23, 95% CI = 1.80, 2.77, P < .001).
Financial stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with more than two times the likelihood of depression during pregnancy, which could impact birth outcomes and long-term offspring health.
新冠疫情给许多美国人带来了前所未有的失业和经济压力。受经济压力影响的人群中包括孕妇，由于产前护理和养育新生儿的费用，额外的经济压力对她们可能影响尤为重大。此前，经济压力一直与孕妇抑郁症状加剧有关，这可能对分娩结局和后代长期健康产生重大影响。然而，新冠疫情相关的经济压力对孕期母亲抑郁的影响尚未得到研究。
在此，我们评估了在新冠疫情期间，美国孕妇中与新冠疫情相关的经济压力是否与临床显著抑郁评分（爱丁堡产后抑郁量表评分≥15）增加的可能性相关。数据来自2020年4月对一个便利样本进行的在线调查（N = 2099）。
43%的参与者报告因疫情经历了经济压力，而24%的参与者有临床显著抑郁评分。即使在对包括参与者教育程度和收入在内的协变量进行调整后，与新冠疫情相关的经济压力仍与临床显著抑郁评分增加的可能性显著相关（调整后的优势比：2.23，95%置信区间 = 1.80，2.77，P < .001）。
新冠疫情造成的经济压力与孕期抑郁可能性增加两倍以上相关，这可能影响分娩结局和后代长期健康。
