The association between maternal fears about their infant/toddler during the COVID-19 pandemic and depression and anxiety: a birth cohort study

Objective: To assess the association between maternal fears about their infant/toddler and depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In 2019, all mothers who gave birth in hospitals in Rio Grande, RS, Brazil were asked to respond to a standardized questionnaire (baseline). We followed them between May-June 2020 (first follow-up point), August-December 2020 (second follow-up point), and from October 2021 to March 2022 (third follow-up point), and asked them if they were: (1) afraid that their infant/toddler would become infected with COVID or get sick (yes/no), (2) afraid that they would contaminate their own child with COVID, and/or (3) worried about the pandemic's effects on their child's future. At baseline and at all follow-up points, we assessed depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and anxiety symptoms using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, creating symptom trajectories using group-based trajectory modelling. We used multinomial logistic regression to calculate adjusted relative risk ratios (RRR). Results: A total of 1,296 mothers participated. Worrying about the pandemic's effects on their child's future and the fear of contaminating their own child with COVID-19 increased the risk of raising depressive symptoms to a clinical level (RRR = 4.97, 95%CI 2.32-10.64 and RRR = 3.87, 95%CI 1.58-9.47, respectively) and anxiety to a moderate level (RRR = 2.91, 95%CI 1.69-5.01 and RRR = 1.86, 95%CI 1.03-3.35, respectively). Conclusion: Fear for their children increased maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic.

Sociodemographic, behavioral, and health-related risk factors for depression among men and women in a southern Brazilian city

Objective: To assess the prevalence of depression and sociodemographic, behavioral, and health-related risk factors therefor in a southern Brazilian city. Methods: Population-based, cross-sectional study of adults from Rio Grande, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Individuals (n=1,295) were selected using a multistage sampling procedure. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to screen for major depressive episodes (MDEs). We used a conceptual causal framework to organize and assess risk factors for MDE and calculated prevalence ratios (PR) using regression models. Results: The prevalence of MDE was 8.4% (95%CI 6.0-10.7) for men and 13.4% (95%CI 11.0-15.8) for women. For men, physical inactivity (PR 2.34, 95%CI 1.09-5.00) and perceived stress (PR 20.35, 95%CI 5.92-69.96) were associated with MDE. In women, MDE prevalence was higher among those in the first tertile of economic index (PR 2.61, 95%CI 1.53-4.45), with 0-8 years of schooling (PR 2.25, 95%CI 1.24-4.11), alcohol users (PR 1.91, 95%CI 1.21-3.02), those physically inactive (PR 2.49, 95%CI 1.22-5.09), with the highest perceived stress (PR 9.17, 95%CI 3.47-24.23), with another mental disorder (PR 1.85, 95%CI 1.32-2.59), and with more noncommunicable diseases (PR 1.85, 95%CI 1.06-3.22). Conclusion: Women had a higher prevalence of depression, and socioeconomic disadvantages were important for the occurrence of MDE; however, for men, only physical inactivity and stress were important predictors, suggesting possible different causal pathways for each sex.

Contextual risk factors of depression and suicidal thoughts in Brazilian adults: a multilevel analysis

Objective: To evaluate the association between social and health contextual variables, and between major depressive episodes (MDE) and suicidal thoughts in Brazilian adults. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study used data from the 2013 National Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde). The Patient Health Questionnaire was used to evaluate the presence of MDE and suicidal thoughts. We used number of Family Health Strategy teams (FHS) per 20,000 state population, number of Psychosocial Care Centers (Centros de Atenção Psicossocial [CAPS]) per 1,000 state population, gross domestic product (GDP), and Gini index for each Brazilian state as contextual variables. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to calculate OR and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Prevalence of MDE and suicidal thoughts was 4.1% (95%CI 3.8-4.4) and 3.8% (95%CI 3.5-4.1), respectively. Multilevel regression models showed an ICC of 1.1% for MDE (95%CI 0.5-2.3) and 1.3% for suicidal thoughts (95%CI 0.6-2.6). Neither GDP, Gini, FHS, or CAPS showed evidence of association with the outcomes. Conclusions: In general, contextual variables, within each Brazilian state, do not seem to affect the prevalence of MDE and suicidal thoughts.

Asociación entre violencia contra la mujer ejercida por la pareja y desnutrición crónica en sus hijos menores de cinco años en Perú / Association between violence against women inflicted by the partner and chronic malnutrition in their children under five years old in Peru

Objetivos: Evaluar la asociación entre violencia contra la mujer ejercida por su pareja y la prevalencia de desnutrición crónica en sus hijos menores de cinco años. Materiales y métodos. Análisis secundario transversal de la Encuesta Demográfica y de Salud Familiar (ENDES) del año 2011, realizada en el Perú y con representatividad nacional. La variable dependiente fue desnutrición crónica en el último hijo menor de cinco años. Las variables independientes fueron el autorreporte de violencia emocional, violencia física (leve o severa) y violencia sexual, ejercidas por el último compañero o esposo de la madre en los últimos 12 meses. Realizamos análisis univariados y multivariables utilizando modelos generalizados lineales (regresión log-binomial), teniendo en cuenta la naturaleza compleja de la muestra. Se ajustaron los modelos para variables sociodemográficas y de salud madre hijo. Se calcularon razones de prevalencias (RP) e intervalos de confianza al 95%. Resultados. Se analizaron datos de 5154 madres e hijos. La prevalencia de desnutrición crónica fue de 19,8% (IC 95%: 18,1-21,6). En el análisis multivariable se encontró una mayor prevalencia de desnutrición crónica en los hijos de madres con historia de violencia física severa RP 1,27% (IC 95%: 1,09-1,48). No hubo evidencia de asociación entre la prevalencia de desnutrición crónica y los otros tipos de violencia ejercida por la pareja. Conclusiones. El reporte de violencia física severa en el último año, por parte de las madres, estuvo asociado a un aumento en la prevalencia de desnutrición crónica en sus niños menores de cinco años.

Objectives: To assess the association between violence against women inflicted by their partner and the prevalence of chronic malnutrition in their children less than five years old. Materials and methods. A secondary cross-sectional analysis of the 2001 Peru Demographic and Health Survey performed in Peru, with national representativeness. The dependent variable was chronic malnutrition in the youngest child under five years old. The independent variables were emotional violence, physical violence (mild or severe) and sexual violence self-report; the violence was inflicted by the mother’s last partner or spouse in the last 12 months. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed, generalized linear models (log-binomial regression) were used, and the nature of the sample was taken into account. Models for socio-demographic and mother-son health variables were adjusted. Prevalence ratios (PR) and confidence intervals were calculated. Results. Data from 5,154 mothers and children were analyzed. The prevalence of chronic malnutrition was 19.8% (CI 95%: 18.1-21.6). In the multivariate analysis, a higher prevalence of chronic malnutrition was found in the children whose mothers had a history of severe physical violence history: PR=1.27% (IC 95%: 1.09-1.48). There was no evidence of association between the prevalence of chronic malnutrition and other kinds of violence inflicted by a partner. Conclusions. The mothers’ report of physical violence in the last year was associated with an increased prevalence of chronic malnutrition in children under five years old.

Calidad de vida vinculada a salud en población migrante rural-urbana y población urbana en Lima, Perú / Health-related quality of life among urban and rural to urban migrant populations in Lima, Peru

Objetivos. Explorar si existe una diferencia en la percepción y autorreporte de calidad de vida en población migrante rural-urbana en comparación con un grupo urbano no migrante. Materiales y métodos. Estudio transversal, análisis secundario del estudio PERU-MIGRANT (PEru’s Rural to Urban MIGRANTs study). Utilizando la prueba de Kruskall- Wallis y evaluando magnitud de efectos se midieron y compararon los puntajes global y por dominios obtenidos en la encuesta WHOQOL-Brief. Resultados. Se encuestó a 307 individuos. La edad promedio de fue de 47 años, 57 por ciento correspondieron al sexo femenino y 62,2 por ciento a población migrante. Comparado con el grupo urbano, el grupo migrante reportó puntajes menores de calidad de vida a nivel global y en los dominios de salud psicológica y del ambiente en elque viven y a la vez, reportaron una mejor percepción en el dominio de salud física. Conclusiones. El impacto de la migración rural-urbana en la calidad de vida indica un efecto diferencial según sus distintos dominios.

Objectives. To explore if there is a difference in the perception and self reported quality of life between rural-to-urban migrants and urban groups. Materials and methods. Cross-sectional study, secondary analysis of the PERU-MIGRANT study (PEru’s Rural to Urban MIGRANTs Study). WHOQOL-Brief survey’s global scores and per specific domains obtained in the survey were compared using Kruskall-Wallis’ test and assessing size effect. Results. A total of 307 subjects (62.2 percent migrants, 57 percent female, means age 47 years-old) were surveyed. Compared with the urban group, migrants reported lower quality of life both on the global scores as well as in psychological health and the living environment domains. Migrants reported a higher score on the physical health’s domain. Conclusions. The impact of rural-to-urban migration on quality of life suggests a differential effect within its specific domains.