ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2022
Perinatal depression and its impact on infant outcomes and maternal-nurse SMS communication in a cohort of Kenyan women.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Digital Health Interventions for Perinatal Depression in Diverse Cultural Contexts: a Systematic Review.Current psychiatry reports · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of antenatal depression on adverse birth outcomes among women attending antenatal care at Jimma University Medical Center, Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- A review of the application of digital phenotyping in predicting peripartum depressive symptoms.NPJ digital medicine · 2026Article
- Article
- Predictors of depression among caregivers of children with malnutrition in Gedeo zone public hospitals, Southern Ethiopia: case-control study.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Investigating Protective and Risk Factors and Predictive Insights for Aboriginal Perinatal Mental Health: Explainable Artificial Intelligence Approach.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Prevalence and Determinants of Antenatal Depression Risk Among Urban Women Seeking Antenatal Clinical Care at a District Hospital in Ghana.Nursing open · 2024Article
- Postpartum recovery after severe maternal morbidity in Kilifi, Kenya: a grounded theory of recovery trajectories beyond 42 days.BMJ global health · 2024Article
- Prevalence and associated factors of maternal depression among mothers of children with undernutrition at comprehensive specialized hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia in 2023: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
- Anti-stigmatizing: a collaborative autoethnography on recovery from depression.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
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10 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
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Abstract
backgroundPerinatal depression is broadly defined as depressive symptoms during pregnancy or within the 12 months following delivery, affecting approximately 20-25% of pregnant and postpartum women in low- and middle-income countries. The wide accessibility of mobile phones allows mobile health (mHealth) interventions to be considered a solution to identify perinatal depression and provide appropriate referrals for treatment. This study, nested in a larger SMS communication project, examined the prevalence and correlates of perinatal depression, determined the association between antenatal depression and infant morbidity and mortality, and compared SMS communication patterns between women with and without perinatal depression.
methodsThis was a prospective longitudinal cohort study of pregnant women seeking antenatal services at two public sector health clinics in Kenya. SMS messages were sent to participants with educational content related to their pregnancy and infant health and two-way SMS communication occurred with a nurse. Sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, SMS messaging behaviors, infant health status, and depressive symptoms were assessed by a standardized questionnaire administered at enrollment (30-36 weeks gestation) and follow-up (14 weeks postpartum). Generalized estimating equation (GEE) with Poisson link was used to evaluate correlates of perinatal depressive symptoms, infant outcomes, and frequency of SMS messaging.
resultsOf the 572 women with complete follow-up information, 188 (32.9%) screened positive for elevated depressive symptoms (≥10 by EPDS scale) at some time point during pregnancy or postpartum. The strongest predictors of any depressive symptoms included interpersonal abuse during pregnancy, fewer years of schooling, and maternal unemployment. Antenatal depressive symptoms were associated with an increased risk of infant illness or hospitalization (RR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.13). Women with antenatal or persistent perinatal depressive symptoms sent fewer SMS messages during the study period than their counterparts without depression.
conclusionsPrevalence of elevated perinatal depressive symptoms was high in this cohort of Kenyan women. Our findings highlight the importance of screening perinatal women for experiences of symptoms of depression as well as abuse. Differences in messaging frequency between women with vs. without depressive symptoms presents an opportunity to provide more tailored support for those perinatal depression.
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