Risk factors for postnatal depression among recently delivered young women in Rural Karnataka, South India

ostnatal depression (PND) is a global public health issue that is associated with devastating and persistent outcomes in mothers and children. In India, PND affects one-in-five first-time mothers. Research on PND among populations in rural settings in India is limited. We aim to describe the prevalence of and risk factors for postnatal depression among a sample of women in their postnatal period in a rural setting in Mysore, South India. Participants were recruited from a large quasi-experimental study that examined the feasibility and acceptability of using mobile medical clinics for antenatal care and HIV testing for pregnant women living in rural communities. All postpartum women completed the PHQ-9 along with a brief survey after completion of the informed consent process. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with PND. A total of 148 mothers 16-20 weeks postpartum completed the study (Mage = 22.9 years, SD ±3.40). About 18.9% met the screening cut-off for postnatal depression using PHQ-9 with scores ≥10. After controlling for age and interaction term for participants’ age and their spouses’ education level, postnatal mothers residing with husbands with hi