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Association between postpartum depression and maternal skeletal muscle mass evaluated using bioelectrical impedance
Kentaro Nakanishi1, Yasuaki Saijo2, Yuta Ishikawa3
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asahikawa Medical University, 1-1-1, Midorigaoka higashi2-jo, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, 078-8510, Japan. nakaken@asahikawa-med.ac.jp.
Background:
Maternal mental health issues including depression are becoming increasingly critical worldwide. The risk of suicide during the postpartum period is significantly higher among individuals with depression than in those without. Although Japan has one of the lowest maternal mortality rates globally, a recent study revealed a disproportionately high number of maternal deaths due to suicide. Recent research, mainly among older adults with sarcopenia, suggests that a decrease in skeletal muscle mass is associated with the deterioration of mental health, including depression. We aimed to evaluate the association between maternal skeletal muscle mass and postpartum depressive symptoms using bioelectrical impedance analysis and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).
Methods:
This prospective cohort study was conducted between 2022 and 2025. Pregnant East Asian women were recruited during their first trimester of pregnancy. Maternal body composition was measured four times using a multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analyzer during the first, second, and third trimesters and 1 month postpartum. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between EPDS scores and the maternal skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and ΔSMI during pregnancy and after birth. ΔSMI was defined as the change in SMI during each measurement period.
Results:
Of the 318 pregnant women, 4.4% had an EPDS score of ≥ 9. The median (interquartile range) of SMI for each trimester and 1 month postpartum was 6.52 (6.16-6.92), 6.63 (6.28-7.03), 6.82 (6.45-7.35), and 6.70 (6.37-7.10), respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis did not reveal an association between EPDS scores and maternal SMI or ΔSMI.
Conclusions:
Maternal SMI during pregnancy and postpartum was not significantly associated with the EPDS score. Although this study does not suggest any new interventions for postpartum mental health care, many participants had a low EPDS scores which warrants further case accumulation and research in this field.
