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Prevalence of anxiety symptoms and depression in the third gestational trimester

  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To determine the prevalence of anxiety and gestational depression and to determine the risk factors associated to its development.

Method

Pregnant women during their third quarter of pregnancy were invited to participate to the study, and they signed an informed consent form. After that, they filled in a general assessment questionnaire in which socio-economical and obstetrical characteristics together with general health conditions and behaviors harmful for the pregnancy were evaluated. To determine the anxiety symptoms a STAI A-trait scale and a STAI-A-state scale were used and to measure the depression a CES-D scale was used. A data logistic regression was realized to determine significant associations. The significance level adopted was 0.05 for all statistical tests.

Results

The final sample was represented by 207 pregnant women and the prevalence of depression was the highest value (73.5 %), followed by state anxiety (58.5 %) and finally by trait anxiety (53.2 %). Only trait anxiety was explained by the variables studied and it was associated to the realization of a treatment for chronic diseases (OR = 2.93; IC = 1.02–8.41; p = 0.045) and the usage of continuous prescription drugs (OR = 2.30; IC = 1.06–4.97; p = 0.034).

Conclusions

The prevalence of anxiety and depression among pregnant women were both high and only trait anxiety was explained by treatment for chronic diseases and the usage of continuous prescription drugs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank to Dr. Boaventura Passos Vinha, Dr. Talles Dias Orsi, Dra. Luciana Cavalcanti Michelutti, Santa Casa de Misericórdia Nossa Senhora do Perpétuo Socorro—Alfenas/MG, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG), Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 700, Alfenas, MG, 37130-000, Brazil

    Caroline Ronchini Ferreira, Mayara Carolina Orsini, Camilla Ribeiro Vieira & Roberta Ribeiro Silva

  2. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG), Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 714, Alfenas, MG, 37130-000, Brazil

    Andrea Mollica do Amarante Paffaro

Authors
  1. Caroline Ronchini Ferreira
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  2. Mayara Carolina Orsini
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  3. Camilla Ribeiro Vieira
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  4. Andrea Mollica do Amarante Paffaro
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  5. Roberta Ribeiro Silva
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roberta Ribeiro Silva.

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Ferreira, C.R., Orsini, M.C., Vieira, C.R. et al. Prevalence of anxiety symptoms and depression in the third gestational trimester. Arch Gynecol Obstet 291, 999–1003 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-014-3508-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-014-3508-x

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