Effects of Postpartum Depression and Temperament of Infant on Child-care Stress among Mothers of Newborn Infants

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was designed to identify mother and infant related factors that influence child-care stress among the mother of newborn infants. METHODS: Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires and descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. The data survey was conducted with 957 conveniently selected mothers of infants when they visited a public health center in Seoul to have their children immunized. RESULTS: The average item score for the Childcare Stress Inventory was 38.03, for the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, 9.31 and for the Degree of Bother Inventory, 23.42. The CSI was positively correlated to EPDS (r=.44, p<.001) and DBI (r=.40, p<.001). Also these two variables explained 30.0% of CSI in infants' mothers. CONCLUSION: These findings are expected to expand the understanding about postpartum mothers' child-care stress and can contribute to the development of comprehensive interventions based on community health nursing.