Introduction: Women are exposed to stress such as working full time while still being responsible for the family and house.
Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms among adult women in Selangor, and to determine the potential risk factors associated with depression.
Method: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in all districts of Selangor state, Malaysia in July 2004. Multi stage stratified proportionate to size sampling method was used to collect data. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to determine the presence or absence of depressive symptoms among the respondents. All respondents aged 20 to 59 years old in the selected households were interviewed.
Results: Out of 1032 women, 972 agreed to participate in this study, giving a response rate of 94.2%. The mean age of the respondents was 37.91 ± 10.91. Majority were Malays (54.9%), married (83.8%) and had secondary education (54.5%). The results showed that the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 8.3% in Selangor. Race, religion, education level, history of having a miscarriage within the last 6 months and history of difficulty in getting pregnant were significantly associated with depressive symptoms (p<0.05). Women with history of a miscarriage within the last 6 months and absence of formal education were potential risk factors for depressive symptoms (OR, CI = 2.576 (1.165-5.696), p<0.01 and OR, CI = 5.766 (1.949-17.053), p < 0.01).
Conclusion: Depressive symptoms among adult women in Selangor was 8.3% and was associated with race, religion, education, history of miscarriage and difficulty in getting pregnant. The main potential risk factors were having a miscarriage within the last 6 months and absence of formal education.
Keywords: Depressive symptoms, Prevalence and Risk Factors, Selangor Women