Abstract
BackgroundHousemaids are part of women with low socioeconomic status and most of them are migrant from rural to central part of Ethiopia, less educated, either with poor, separated, single or divorced family and/or dead parents. Housemaid may experience problems like depression and anxiety more than other groups of women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and determinants of those problems among housemaids.ObjectiveTo assess the magnitude and determinants of depression & anxiety among housemaids in Addis Ababa; Ethiopia; 2018.MethodsCommunity based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 1 to August 30, 2018 among housemaids working in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Multistage sampling technique was applied with a total of 826 samples. Quantitative data was employed by using structured questionnaires. The collected data was coded, entered in to Epi-Info version 7 and analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Descriptive, analytical statistical procedures; bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions with odds ratios and 95% confidence interval was employed. The statistical significance was declared at p value < 0.05.ResultsThis study enrolled 862 participants with response rate 99.5%, 99.5% refers to the number of people who actually completed the interview. The result showed prevalence of depression and anxiety among housemaids 27.5% and 32.3% respectively. Among all participants 44.6% (95% CI= 41.0 – 47.9) have mild, 18.5% (95% CI= 15.7 – 21.2) have moderate and 6.1% (95% CI= 4.5 – 7.8) have severe form of comorbid anxiety with depression. Depression (44.9%) and anxiety (41.9%) found more prevalent among the age group 16 to 20. In this study history of parental divorce, participant’s divorce, physical violence and sexual violence are positively associated. Other factors; being less educated and living with relatives; were associated negatively.ConclusionThe prevalence of Depression and Anxiety is found high among housemaid; its prevalence is more among age group 16 to 20 than other age groups. Violence, participant’s divorce, history of parental divorce and contraceptive use has positively associated with depression and anxiety.
Highlights
Housemaids are part of women with low socioeconomic status and most of them are migrant from rural to central part of Ethiopia, less educated, either with poor, separated, single or divorced family and/or dead parents
Among all participants 44.6% have mild, 18.5% have moderate and 6.1% have severe form of comorbid anxiety with depression
The prevalence of Depression and Anxiety is found high among housemaid; its prevalence is more among age group 16 to 20 than other age groups
Summary
Housemaids are part of women with low socioeconomic status and most of them are migrant from rural to central part of Ethiopia, less educated, either with poor, separated, single or divorced family and/or dead parents. Housemaid may experience problems like depression and anxiety more than other groups of women. In case of anxiety and depression; the greater vulnerability of women varies with the age: before mid-puberty, boys are more likely than girls to anxious or depressed, while between 15 and 19 years, the prevalence of depression is doubled in girls [2, 5]. This trend persists until 54 years [3]. Psychiatric morbidity among housemaids is two to five times higher than the native female population [7,8,9]
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