Associated Factors of Prenatal Depression among
Teenage Pregnant Women at King Chulalongkorn
Memorial Hospital
Apiradee Uthaipaisanwong MD*,
Tassawan Rungruxsirivorn MD*, Chutima Roomruangwong MD**,
Nimit Taechakraichana MD*, Surasith Chaithongwongwatthana MD*
Affiliation :
* Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
** Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
Objective : Depression during pregnancy is associated with deteriorating maternal health and increasing risk of preterm
birth, fetal growth restriction, and suicidal attempt. The problems may be worse in adolescents who are more vulnerable.
This study was conducted to determine the percentage of depression among teenage mothers and its associated factors.
Material and Method: Two hundred teenage pregnant women aged between 13 and 19 years who visited King Chulalongkorn
Memorial Hospital (KCMH) participated in the present study. They were asked to complete the validated Thai Edinburgh
Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) questionnaire for depression screening. The cut-off score of 11 was used for the diagnosis
of prenatal depression.
Results : Ninety-two (46%) teenage pregnant women were found to have prenatal depression using the EPDS cut-off score
of 11. The mean age of participants was 17.5 years with the mean gestational ages of 23 weeks. Most of the participants
(67%) resigned from school and 16% had history of attempted abortion during current pregnancy. There was no significant
association between prenatal depression and unplanned pregnancy, unemployment, leaving school, or trimester at screening.
Logistic regression analyses showed that history of attempted abortion and inadequate income were significantly associated
with prenatal depression (odd ratio = 8.03, 95% CI 1.59 to 40.37 and 4.16, 95% CI 1.35 to 12.83, respectively).
Conclusion : Prenatal depression was common among teenage pregnant women who visited KCMH. Attempted abortion
and inadequate income were found to be significantly associated with prenatal depression.
Keywords : Teenage pregnancy, Prenatal depression, Factor
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