At least the same in five women wil...

At least the same in five women will experience depression in her lifetime. The prevalence of depression in women is greatest during the reproductive years. Studies estimate that 20 to 30 percent of nonpregnant women presenting to primary care clinics for any reason proper the criteria for depression, although undivided half of these cases are not recognized. A prevalence research in women treated at family planning clinics confirmed these high rates of depression and identified significantly elevated rates of risk factors for reproductive conditions among women who are depressed

Berenson and colleagues overlooked 5,583 low-income suburban women treated at family planning clinics in Texas. All of recent origin patients younger than 40 years were asked to thorough the survey unless they were pregnant or within four weeks after delivery. The review available in both English and Spanish, cloaked sociodemographic factors as well as six sections concerning health and health risk behaviors. The examine incorporated the 13-item short form of the Beck Depression Inventory.

Approximately undivided half (48 percent) of the 4726 women who complet the examine were white, 22 percent were black, and approximately 25 percent were Hispanic. Around 30 percent reported being married, and an additional 52 percent stated that they were unmarried on the contrary had a partner. Overall, about 30 percent of women met the criteria for depression. Mild symptoms were identified in 118 percent of the overlook respondents, moderate symptoms in 14 percent and accurate symptoms in 4.8 percent.

Depressive symptoms were more public in Hispanic women (20.1 percent) than in black women (161 percent) or white women (197 percent) Statistical analysis associated moderate or bitter depression with the factors of Hispanic ethnicity, soft educational achievement, unemployment, and having no present partner. Depression was associated with young age at first intercourse, increased number of lifetime sexual partners, not using contraception at first and in the greatest degree recent intercourse, history of sexually transmitted disease, more than three pregnancies, early age at first pregnancy, sex after using alcohol or put drugs intos and no sexual activity in the previous three month Depression also was associated with regular smoking, young age at initiation of smoking, in every one's mouth use of alcohol, and young age at first intoxication.

Multivariate logistic regression identified 11 factors that were significantly related to moderate to harsh depression. The strongest relationships (highest supernumerarys ratios) were for the following factors: having more than six sexual partners (212) initiating contraception use at an age younger than 12 years (198) instant smoking (1.67), not completing high place of education (1.66), abstaining from sexual activity in the previous three month (152) being Hispanic (138) and working fewer than 10 hours a week (142)

The authors close that many women seeking reproductive services have depression and that risk factors and associated behaviors for reproductive conditions cluster in women with depression. In particular, these women are likely to have unprotect intercourse and to have subdued levels of resources for social support. The constellation of adverse factors may be further exacerbated by means of use of drugs or alcohol to self-treat depressive symptoms. The authors call forward physicians to be alert for depression in female patients and to inquire about risky sexual or reproductive behaviors in women who are depressed

Berenson AB, et al. Reproductive correlates of depressive symptoms among low-income minority women Obstet Gynecol December 2003;102:1310-7

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

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