Prevalence of Self-Reported Postpartum Depressive Symptoms and Related Factors in Women living in Puerto Rico...

The objective of this article is to address the lack of data on self-reported postpartum depression among women in Puerto Rico with a live birth.

We examined data from the Puerto Rico Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) questionnaire to evaluate self-reported postpartum depressive symptoms (SRPPDS) among women with a live birth.

The prevalence of SRPPDS among women in Puerto Rico with a live birth was similar to that reported by other PRAMS sites. Overall, 9.67% of respondents reported having SRPPDS, and it did not vary by marital status, maternal age, maternal education, or income (P > .05). Risk factors that were significantly more prevalent among women who reported SRPPDS during the study period included 1) depression and anxiety before pregnancy, 2) depression and anxiety during pregnancy, and 3) smoking around the time of the interview, and 4) exposure to disaster-related stressors after Hurricane Maria.

Our findings show that women in Puerto Rico who had live births have similar rates of SRPPDS compared to those in other areas of the U.S.; however, specific risk factors for this population include exposure to disasters.