Prevalence and associated factors of anxiety and depression among pregnant women attending antenatal care at State Hospital Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence of anxiety and depression and its associated factors, including domestic violence, among pregnant women attending antenatal care at state hospital Moniya, Ibadan Oyo state. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design .Out of all the respondents 22 percent of the women were anxious and/or depressed. Psychological distress was associated with husband unemployment (p=0.035), lower household wealth (p=0.029), had above secondary education (p=0.005), a first (p=0.006) and an unwanted pregnancy (p<0.001). The strongest factors associated with depression/anxiety were verbal abuse; 45% of women who were physically and/or sexually abused and 21% of those with verbal abuse had depression/anxiety compared to 43% of those who were not abused. Anxiety and depression commonly occur during pregnancy among women; rates are highest in women experiencing verbal abuse, but they also are increased among women with unemployed spouses and those with lower household wealth. These results suggest that developing a screening and treatment programme for domestic violence and depression/anxiety during pregnancy may improve the situation of pregnant women.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Depression, Anxiety, Associated factors