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Date Published: 24/11/2025
Abstract Views: 76
Views PDF: 33
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51298/vmj.v556i2.16226
Issue
Vol. 556 No. 2 (2025): Vietnam Medical Journal
Section
Các bài báo
How to Cite
Nguyen , P. D., Phan , Q. D., Nguyen , D. B., Nguyen Ngoc, H. P., & Truong , K. Q. (2025). Coping and depression in pregnancy: A study among pregnant women in University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam Medical Journal, 556(2). https://doi.org/10.51298/vmj.v556i2.16226

Coping and depression in pregnancy: A study among pregnant women in University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City

Phuong Dung Nguyen 1, Quoc Dung Phan 2, Dinh Bach Nguyen 3, Hong Phuc Nguyen Ngoc4, Ke Quan Truong 5,
1 School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Australia
2 Binh Dong area Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh City
3 Hanoi University of Business and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
4 University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
5 Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), Vietnam

Main Article Content

Abstract

Aim: To determine the association between depression and coping strategies among pregnant women in the obstetrics ward at the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 278 pregnant women (March–May 2023) used face-to-face interviews with a structured questionnaire based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Vietnamese version Brief COPE scale. Antenatal Depression was defined as EPDS ≥10. Poisson regression analyzed associations between coping strategies and depression after adjusting for sociodemographic and obstetric factors, with prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI); p < 0.05 was significant. Results: The prevalence of antenatal depression was 17.3%. After adjusting for sociodemographic and obstetric confounders, emotional support was negatively associated with depression (aPR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.42-0.81, p=0.001), while self-blame showed the strongest positive association (aPR=2.19, 95% CI: 1.48-3.24, p<0.001), followed by denial (aPR=1.80, p=0.01), behavioral disengagement (aPR=1.53, p=0.01), and venting (aPR=1.50, p=0.03). Conclusion: The prevalence of depressive symptoms in pregnant women in University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City was 17.3%. Coping strategies are strongly linked to antenatal depression; promoting positive coping, especially emotional support, may help reduce depressive symptoms in pregnant women.

Article Details

Keywords

Antenatal depression; Coping strategies; Pregnancy; EPDS; Brief COPE; Vietnam

References

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