The investigation of risk factors which predict postpartum depression in seasonal farm workers

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate risk factors which predict risk of postpartum depression (PPD) for seasonal farm workers in Sanliurfa province. Methods: Within this research, Sociodemographic Questionnaire and Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) were applied to 166 of the 618 confined women who live region affiliated to Ertugrul Gazi Health Center, where seasonal farm workers mainly live, through lay health workers. ANOVA and t-test were used to compare risk of PPD average by sociodemographic variables and factors related to pregnancy when data were normally distributed and the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskall-Wallis test used instead for non-normal distributions. Multiple regression analysis was applied for detecting predictive risk factors of PPD. Findings: According to findings, all of subjects were at risk of PPD. Women whose husbands were illiterate are more risk than women whose husband were graduated on either primary school and high schools. However, having risk for PPD did not differentiate other variables. Factors, which predict risk for PPD, were history of psychological disease, age at first delivery, perception of family income, lack of support person, and taking help from husband during care giving baby. Discussion: It was found that all subjects were at risk for PPD. This finding was evaluated as important. It was stemmed from environmental and cultural barriers when they encounter while migrating to work. According to standardized beta coefficients, it would be say that the most predictive factor for risk of PPD was history of psychological illness. Key words: [Anadolu Psikiyatri Derg 2013; 14(4.000): 325-332]