Prevalence of Antenatal Depression and Its Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Background: Antenatal depression is an illness that many pregnant women go through as a result of physical and emotional changes. Excessive tiredness, mood changes, lack of hope, sleep difficulties, disinterest in everyday activities, concentration difficulties, fear, anxiety, and suicidal ideation are some of the symptoms. World Health Organization acknowledges that depression adds to the burden of disease globally to become the single largest contributor of disability. Antenatal depression is estimated to affect 25-35 percent of pregnant women, while 20% qualify as severely depressed at some point during pregnancy. However, research into depression symptoms has received little attention. Study objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with antenatal depression among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at Kenyatta National Hospital from November 2022 to February 2023. Methodology: This was a mixed method study conducted at Kenyatta National Hospital’s antenatal clinic. The study population was pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in the period November 2022 through February 2023. The sample for the study was recruited through systematic sampling technique targeting 270 pregnant women. Quantitative data was collected through a structured questionnaire, which incorporated Beck’s Depression Inventory tool and Oslo Social Support Scale. Two focus group discussions were also done for qualitative data with each group involving six participants from the larger sample who had scored positively for antenatal depression. The discussions lasted roughly 90 minutes, and the tape-recorded data was transcribed and translated verbatim in readiness for analysis. Ethical approval was acquired from KNH-UON ERC. Data was analyzed using SPSS v.25 and the association was assessed using an odd ratio, since design cannot give cause-effect association, and p value < 0.05 is considered statistically significant...