Prevalence of and sociodemographic factors associated with antenatal depression among women in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background. Pregnancy-related depression is a common psychiatric disorder and a major public health concern in both developed and developing countries, but the disorder receives little attention and few resources, particularly in developing countries. Objectives. To assess the prevalence of antenatal depression and its sociodemographic risk factors among pregnant women in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Methods. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in a district hospital from 8 March to 12 April 2021. Consecutive women attending antenatal care services during the data collection period were included in the study. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to assess depression symptoms. Results. The prevalence of antenatal depression was 31% (95% confidence interval 26.1-36.3). Being unmarried, being a smoker, being without financial support from a partner, having a violent partner and having a less-educated partner were significant predictors of antenatal depression in these women. Conclusion. Nearly one-third of the pregnant women in our study had depressive symptoms. The important predictors of antenatal depression included being unmarried, smoking, lack of financial support from a partner, intimate partner violence and having a lesseducated partner. These findings may help healthcare workers to identify women at risk early, so that support can be offered during pregnancy and childbirth.