Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Apr 15:2025:6823160.
doi: 10.1155/da/6823160. eCollection 2025.

Trend of Antenatal Depression and Its Risk Factors Among Pregnant Women in China From 2016 to 2021: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study Under Multiple Fertility Policy Adjustments and Economic Development

Chi Zhou  1 , Fang Tan  2 , Xu Li  1 , Jingchun Chen  3 , Qunfang Huang  1 , Xiaoling Lin  1 , Falin Zhao  1 , Qi Yuan  4
Affiliations

Trend of Antenatal Depression and Its Risk Factors Among Pregnant Women in China From 2016 to 2021: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study Under Multiple Fertility Policy Adjustments and Economic Development

Chi Zhou et al. Depress Anxiety. .

Abstract

Background: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the trend and risk factors of antenatal depression (AD) among Chinese women in the third trimester of pregnancy, taking into account the impact of multiple fertility policy adjustments and economic development in China. Method: A repeated cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 3404 pregnant women at 30-42 weeks' gestation were recruited from the two largest maternity hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China, between 2016 and 2021. Results: The prevalence of AD among women in their third trimester of pregnancy had significantly increased from 31.8% to 60.6% (p < 0.001) from 2016 to 2021. Pregnant women aged between 18 and 24 years reported the highest prevalence of AD. Those aged between 25 and 34 years (odds ratio [OR], 0.788; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.630-0.985), with a better self-reported health status (OR, 0.929; 95% CI: 0.922-0.936) and higher perceived social support (OR, 0.948; 95% CI: 0.940-0.955), reported a lower prevalence of AD. Pregnant women who were housewives (OR, 1.399; 95% CI: 1.078-1.817), had an introverted personality (OR, 1.324; 95% CI: 1.119-1.568), and had experienced an unplanned pregnancy (OR, 1.303; 95% CI: 1.098-1.547) reported a higher prevalence of AD. Conclusions: The significant increase in the prevalence of AD from 2016 to 2021 has caused concern in society. To improve the aforementioned situation, it is imperative to implement further initiatives to address the challenges faced by pregnant women, especially those who are housewives, have introverted personalities, and have experienced unplanned pregnancies.

Keywords: Chinese pregnant women; antenatal depression; fertility policy; repeated cross-sectional.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Changes in sociodemographic characteristics of pregnant women in the third trimester in China from 2016 to 2021.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trends in ADR from 2016 to 2021 year among third trimester pregnancy women.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Trends in ADR among 18–43-year-old pregnancy women. ADR, antenatal depression rate.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Eastwood J., Ogbo F. A., Hendry A., Noble J., Page A. The Impact of Antenatal Depression on Perinatal Outcomes in Australian Women. PLoS One . 2017;12(1) doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169907.e0169907 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Manber R., Blasey C., Allen J. J. B. Depression Symptoms During Pregnancy. Archives of Women’s Mental Health . 2008;11(1):43–48. doi: 10.1007/s00737-008-0216-1. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fekadu Dadi A., Miller E. R., Mwanri L. Antenatal Depression and its Association With Adverse Birth Outcomes in Low and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLoS One . 2020;15(1) doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227323.e0227323 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dagher R. K., Bruckheim H. E., Colpe L. J., Edwards E., White D. B. Perinatal Depression: Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Women’s Health . 2021;30(2):154–159. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2020.8862. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Al-Sabah R., Al-Taiar A., Ziyab A. H., Akhtar S., Hammoud M. S. Antenatal Depression and its Associated Factors: Findings From Kuwait Birth Cohort Study. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health . 2024;14(3):847–859. doi: 10.1007/s44197-024-00223-7. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources