Purpose: This study aimed to examine the factors associated with postpartum depression and its influence on maternal identity of postpartum women.
Methods: Research design was a cross sectional descriptive study with a total of 89 women within the six month postpartum period. Associations of eating habits, overall sleep quality and other factors with postpartum depression utilizing the Korean Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI) were done. The influence of postpartum depression on maternal identity was analyzed. Variables yielding significant associations (p<.05) were included in an adjusted logistic regression and a stepwise multiple regression.
Results: Mean scores of postpartum depression was 9.42+/-6.08 and 31.5% (n=28) for mild depression, 11.2% (n=10) was moderate and 4.5% (n=4) was severe depression on the K-BDI scale. Perceived health status and overall sleep quality were predictors of postpartum depression. Postpartum depression and the husband's love were predictors of maternal identity.
Conclusion: Awareness of poor health perception and sleep quality will be helpful to detect for postpartum depression. Strategies to increase maternal identity during the postpartum period would be tailored by level of depression.
Keywords: Depression; Identity; Postpartum.