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Maternal early pregnancy obesity and depressive symptoms during and after pregnancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2018

Satu M. Kumpulainen*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Polina Girchenko
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Marius Lahti-Pulkkinen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
Rebecca M. Reynolds
Affiliation:
British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Soile Tuovinen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
Anu-Katriina Pesonen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Kati Heinonen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Eero Kajantie
Affiliation:
Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki and Oulu, Finland Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland PEDEGO Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Pia M. Villa
Affiliation:
Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki, and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
Esa Hämäläinen
Affiliation:
HUSLAB, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
Hannele Laivuori
Affiliation:
Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki, and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Katri Räikkönen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
*
Author for correspondence: Satu M. Kumpulainen, E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Background

Previous studies have linked maternal obesity with depressive symptoms during and after pregnancy. It remains unknown whether obesity associates with consistently elevated depressive symptoms throughout pregnancy, predicts symptoms postpartum when accounting for antenatal symptoms, and if co-morbid hypertensive and diabetic disorders add to these associations. We addressed these questions in a sample of Finnish women whom we followed during and after pregnancy.

Methods

Early pregnancy body mass index, derived from the Finnish Medical Birth Register and hospital records in 3234 PREDO study participants, was categorized into underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5–24.99 kg/m2), overweight (25–29.99 kg/m2), and obese (⩾30 kg/m2) groups. The women completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale biweekly during pregnancy, and at 2.4 (s.d. = 1.2) and/or 28.2 (s.d. = 4.2) weeks after pregnancy.

Results

In comparison to normal weight women, overweight, and obese women reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and had higher odds of clinically significant depressive symptoms during (23% and 43%, respectively) and after pregnancy (22% and 36%, respectively). Underweight women had 68% higher odds of clinically significant depressive symptoms after pregnancy. Overweight and obesity also predicted higher depressive symptoms after pregnancy in women not reporting clinically relevant symptomatology during pregnancy. Hypertensive and diabetic disorders did not explain or add to these associations.

Conclusions

Maternal early pregnancy overweight and obesity and depressive symptoms during and after pregnancy are associated. Mental health promotion should be included as an integral part of lifestyle interventions in early pregnancy obesity and extended to benefit also overweight and underweight women.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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