Korean J Women Health Nurs.  2011 Mar;17(1):39-51. 10.4069/kjwhn.2011.17.1.39.

A Comparative Study on the Postpartum Depression of Vietnamese Marriage Immigrant Women and Korean Women

• Choi EY
• Lee EH
• Choi JS
• Choi SH

• KMID: 2308208
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2011.17.1.39

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to examine postpartum depression of Vietnamese married immigrant women and Korean women, and to identify factors that affect postpartum depression.
METHODS
Subjects of one hundred and thirty-five women who had delivered a baby within 3 years were part of the study. Of these women, sixty were Vietnamese married immigrant women and sixty -seven were Korean women living in Gangwon Province. Kim's (2005) Korean version of Cox's (1987) EPDS (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) was used to evaluate postpartum depression. The reliability of the entire subjects was Cronbach's alpha=.677, Vietnamese women .743, and Korean women .654.
RESULTS
There were significant differences between the two groups in demographic data and obstetric history. There were significant differences in EPDS (t=-0.236, p=.814) of the type of household between the two groups. Korean women experienced more depression in the items of EPDS 1,2,5, and Vietnamese women experienced more depression in the items of EPDS 7, 8, and 10 when comparing item by item. The influencing factors of EPDS in entire subjects were marriage type, satisfaction of relationship with the husband and other household extended family members, and emotional experience during pregnancy.
CONCLUSION
Postpartum depression has occurred regardless of ethnicity, therefore prevention programs targeted at depression, and family support programs should be developed for all childbearing women.

Keyword

Married immigrant women; Postpartum depression; Vietnamese women

MeSH Terms

Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Depression
Depression, Postpartum
Emigrants and Immigrants
Family Characteristics
Female
Humans
Marriage
Postpartum Period
Spouses

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