Symptoms of maternal depression and anxiety and their effect on the child's weight status four years after delivery

Abstract

ABSTRACT We examined the association of maternal depression and anxiety symptoms with the weight status of children at preschool age. The current study is a cross-sectional study, which was carried out in the homes of the participants between July 2016 and August 2017. Maternal depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the Beck Anxiety Inventory, respectively. Of the 216 children included in the study, 69.4%, 21.3% and 9.3% were classified as ≤85th, >85th and <97th and >85th percentile, respectively. The prevalence of moderate/severe maternal depression and anxiety symptoms was 20.1% and 19.5%, respectively. Children whose mothers had moderate/severe symptoms of depression and minimal/mild symptoms of anxiety were more likely to have excess body weight at preschool age than children whose mothers had both minimal/mild symptoms of depression and anxiety. We found that maternal depression symptoms are associated with excess body weight in children at preschool age.