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The impact of sleep, stress, and depression on postpartum weight retention: a systematic review
Rui S Xiao1, Aimee R Kroll-Desrosiers2, Robert J Goldberg3
1Clinical and Population Health Research Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States; Division of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.
Objective:
To review the impact of sleep, stress, and/or depression on postpartum weight retention.
Methods:
We searched three electronic databases, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and PsycInfo. Studies were included if they were published between January 1990 and September 2013 in English, measured sleep, stress, and/or depression in the postpartum period, and assessed the association of these factors with postpartum weight retention. Two reviewers reviewed included articles and rated study quality using a modified version of the Downs and Black scale.
Results:
Thirteen studies met our pre-defined eligibility criteria, reporting on 9 study samples. Two were cross-sectional studies and eleven were longitudinal studies. The study sample size ranged from 74 to 37,127. All four studies examining short sleep duration and postpartum weight retention reported a positive association. The four studies examining postpartum stress and weight retention reported non-significant associations only. Of 7 studies examining postpartum depression and weight retention, 3 reported non-significant associations, and 4 reported positive associations.
Conclusion:
Research investigating the impact of postpartum sleep, stress, depression on weight retention is limited. Future longitudinal studies are needed.
