Patricia M. McGovern, PhD¹, Bryan E. Dowd, PhD², Dwenda Gjerdingen, MD, MS³, Sally Kenney, PhD⁴, Laurie Ukestad, MS¹, David McCaffrey², and Ulf Lundberg, PhD⁵. (1) Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 807, 420 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, 612-625-7429, pmcg@umn.edu, (2) Division of Health Services Research and Policy, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Mayo Mail Code 729, Minneapolis, MN 55455, (3) Family Practice and Community Health, University of Minnesota, MMC 381 Mayo, Del Code 8381, Minneapolis, MN 55455, (4) Hubert H. Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, 146 HHH Center, Del Code 7451, Minneapolis, MN 55455, (5) Dept. of Psychology, University of Stockholm, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

Research Objective: to evaluate women’s postpartum health and the effects of personal, family, and employment factors.

Study Design: The study employed a prospective cohort design, recruiting women hospitalized for childbirth in 2001. Health and demographic data were abstracted from hospital records; personal, family and employment characteristics were collected in-person. Women were interviewed by telephone at six weeks postpartum. Multivariate analyses are in progress.

Population Studied: Women were enrolled from selected Minnesota hospitals. Sample selection criterion included age 18 or older; a healthy infant; and plans to return to work.

Principal Findings: 817 women were enrolled (71% response). At 6 weeks, 716 women were employed. On average, women were 30 years old; 86% were Caucasian, 73% married, 7% working, and 67% breastfeeding. Postpartum women scored 51.4 on the Physical Component Summary (norm:52.7), and 49.4 on the Mental Component Summary (norm: 47.2) on the SF-12; 17% met depression criteria on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Illness symptoms correlated inversely with mental (r = -.33, p<.0001), and physical health (r = -.30, p <.0001). Regression estimates reveal better physical health was associated with vaginal delivery, better prenatal physical health, Caucasian race, and fewer health services used. Better mental health was associated with a female infant, better prenatal health, Black race, perceived control, fewer infant illnesses, lower maternal workload, fewer nighttime awakenings, increased social support, and a blue-collar occupation. Two stage least squares analyses will address the endogeneity of maternal breastfeeding, status on leave from work, workload and infant illnesses.

Conclusions: To be completed.

Learning Objectives: The learner will be able to

(
• describe common mental and physical health problems employed women experience at six weeks after childbirth and (
• discuss the possible effects of various personal, family, perinatal, infant and employment factors on postpartum health.

Keywords: Women's Health, Maternal Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.