ArticleHealth science reports2026
Pregnancy Loss and Women's Mental Health in Zambia: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based and Spatial Analysis Using 2023-2024 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey Data.
Article in Health science reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background and Aims: Pregnancy loss is a significant event for reproductive-age women (15-49 years). However, limited evidence exists on the association between pregnancy loss and adverse mental health symptoms among women in Zambia. This study aims to examine the association between pregnancy loss and mental health symptoms, and to assess regional inequalities across provinces to inform public health interventions. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and included 13,951 reproductive-age women (15-49 years) from the recent nationally representative Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) 2023-2024. The outcome variables, such as symptoms of anxiety and depression, were evaluated using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scales. Stepwise survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression was conducted to assess the association, and results were reported with adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Descriptive spatial analyses were conducted to assess geographic inequalities across provinces. Results: Among all women, 10% experienced one pregnancy loss and 2.6% experienced two or more pregnancy losses. Overall, 1.3% experienced symptoms of anxiety and 1.6% experienced symptoms of depression. Women with two or more pregnancy losses had significantly higher odds of developing anxiety (AOR = 1.65; 95% CI:1.23-2.21) and depression (AOR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.18-2.22). Descriptive spatial analysis revealed notable context-specific regional disparities, with Lusaka, Central, and Eastern provinces having higher proportions of pregnancy loss. Conclusion: Pregnancy loss is associated with higher odds of developing symptoms of anxiety and depression among Zambian women, particularly for those with multiple pregnancy losses. The spatial findings highlight the need for targeted mental health support for reproductive-age women, particularly in high-burden regions.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.