Examination of a telephone-based exercise intervention for the prevention of postpartum depression: Design, methodology, and baseline data from The Healthy Mom study

Abstract

Research indicates that exercise is an efficacious intervention for depression among adults; however, little is known regarding its efficacy for preventing postpartum depression. The Healthy Mom study was a randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of an exercise intervention for the prevention of postpartum depression. Specifically, postpartum women with a history of depression or a maternal family history of depression (n=130) were randomly assigned to a telephone-based exercise intervention or a wellness/support contact control condition each lasting six months. The exercise intervention was designed to motivate postpartum women to exercise based on Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model. The primary dependent variable was depression based on the Structured Clinical Diagnostic Interview (SCID). Secondary dependent variables included scores on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the PHQ-9, and the Perceived Stress Scale. The purpose of this paper is to describe the study design, methodology, and baseline data for this trial. Upon completion of the trial, the results will yield important information about the efficacy of exercise in preventing postpartum depression.

Factors associated with post‐natal anxiety among primiparous mothers in Nepal

“…This study found a negative relationship between anxiety and social support from the family, similar to the study by Lewis et al. (), but no relationship between anxiety and social support from the husband, as reflected in the study of Siu et al. ().…”

Preventive Factors of Postpartum Depression in Adult Mothers: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…The majority of the studies (n=8) were conducted in the USA [27,30,31,34,35,37,40,41], two in the UK [4,28] and two in China [7,39]. One study was conducted in each of the following countries: Canada [29], Mexico [33], Norway [8], Hungary [32], France [5], Iran [26], Australia [6], Denmark [36], South Africa [25], Brazil [38].…”

“…Lewis et al [35] examined the relation between employment status and PPD among high-risk women. This was a post hoc analysis from a previously conducted RCT, which was also included in this review and is described in more detail below (see [34]). 124 healthy women (six participants were lost to follow-up), who had a (maternal family) history of depression aged between 18-42 years have been examined.…”

“…Lewis et al [34] examined in a RCT the effectiveness of a telephone-based exercise program in preventing PPD among high-risk women. 130 adult mothers with a (maternal family) history of depression who are currently not exercising were recruited for The Healthy Mom Study.…”

The Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Perinatal Depression Screening: A Systematic Review

“…Some of these include difficulties in combining child care and face-to-face psychological interventions, not knowing where to go to receive treatment, time limitations, transportation difficulties, social stigma associated with mental illness, and fear that their baby could be removed from their care. [28][29][30][31][32] In the light of the previous findings, the goal of this study was to review how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been used in PeD screening and to discuss to which extent they might help overcome some of the barriers presented previously. During the past years, the use of ICTs in the health service industry (eHealth) has increased spectacularly, arguably because of the decrease in their cost and their increased availability in the general population.…”