TITLE:
Influence of smoking on postpartum depression in Japan
AUTHORS:
Atsuko Satoh, Chiaki Kitamiya, Yukoh Yaegashi, Fujiko Ohse, Sangun Lee, Chikako Kishi, Kazuko Menzawa, Hidetada Sasaki
KEYWORDS:
Smoking Habit; Stress; Childbirth; Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; Sociopsychological State
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.5 No.8,
August
6,
2013
ABSTRACT: Aim: To investigate
the influence of smoking on postpartum depression. Methods: One thousand
fifty-one women, in a rural city in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, prospectively
fulfilled the selection criteria and completed self-reporting questionnaires
on postnatal depression at 5-6 days, 1 month, 4 months, 7 months and 12
months after childbirth, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
and a life and social events scales including smoking habits. Results: Seven
hundred seventy-seven women were non-smokers. Among two hundred seventy-four
women who were smokers before becoming pregnant (26% of pregnant women),
241 women quit smoking during pregnancy and 33 women continued smoking.
Smoking habits were significantly
associated with sociopsychological states and we found that EPDS scores
of smokers were significantly higher than EPDS of non-smokers. The EPDS scores
of both non-smokers and smokers were higher at 5-6 days, but were stable
from 1 month to 12 months, after childbirth. Fifty-one women who quit smoking
after childbirth resumed smoking during he 1-12 month periods after
childbirth. The EPDS scores of 51 women who resumed smoking were significantly
reduced after they resumed smoking. Conclusion: The EPDS scores of smokers were
higher than those of non-smokers and a smoking habit may help to alleviate
postpartum depression.