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Changes in the Relationship Between Socioeconomic Position and Maternal Depressive Symptoms: Results from the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC)

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Abstract

Maternal depression is a common health problem during the perinatal period. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in the relationship between socioeconomic position and maternal depressive symptoms from prenatal to 3 years postpartum in Korean women. Prospective cohort data were collected from the Panel Study on Korean Children between 2008 and 2011. Maternal depression was assessed using the Kessler 6-Item Psychological Distress Scale. Socioeconomic position indicators used were maternal education, paternal education, maternal occupation, paternal occupation, and household income. Repeated-measures analyses with a generalized estimating equation approach were used to investigate relationships between socioeconomic position and maternal depressive symptoms during the study period. Low socioeconomic position was associated with greater levels of maternal depressive symptoms between 4 months after childbirth and 3 years postpartum, but the association was not evident between 1 month before and after childbirth. The magnitude of the significant association between socioeconomic position and maternal depression was the greatest at 1 year postpartum but then became smaller. Among the five socioeconomic position indicators included, maternal education, paternal education, and household income showed graded inverse relationships with maternal depressive symptoms, while no significant relationship was found for paternal occupation over the study period. Socioeconomic inequalities in maternal depressive symptoms emerged in early childhood in a prospective study of Korean mothers. These emerging inequalities may contribute to socioeconomic inequalities in childhood health and development.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (Grant Number: 2013R1A1-A2009752).

Ethical standard

This study was conducted with the approval of the Asan Medical Center Institutional Review Board.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, South Korea

    Jinwook Bahk & Young-Ho Khang

  2. Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1 Poongnap-2dong Songpa-gu, Seoul, 138-736, South Korea

    Sung-Cheol Yun

  3. Department of Preventive Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, 26 Daesingongwon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan, 602-715, South Korea

    Yu-mi Kim

  4. Department of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, South Korea

    Young-Ho Khang

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  1. Jinwook Bahk
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Correspondence to Young-Ho Khang.

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Bahk, J., Yun, SC., Kim, Ym. et al. Changes in the Relationship Between Socioeconomic Position and Maternal Depressive Symptoms: Results from the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC). Matern Child Health J 19, 2057–2065 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1718-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1718-x

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