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Changes in the health status of women during and after pregnancy

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the changes in health status experienced by a multi-ethnic cohort of women during and after pregnancy.

DESIGN: Observational cohort.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Pregnant women from 1 of 6 sites in the San Francisco area (N=1,809).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Women who agreed to participate were asked to complete a series of telephone surveys that ascertained health status as well as demographic and medical factors. Substantial changes in health status occurred over the course of pregnancy. For example, physical function declined, from a mean score of 95.2 prior to pregnancy to 58.1 during the third trimester (0–100 scale, where 100 represents better health), and improved during the postpartum period (mean score, 90.7). The prevalence of depressive symptoms rose from 11.7% prior to pregnancy to 25.2% during the third trimester, and then declined to 14.2% during the postpartum period. Insufficient money for food or housing and lack of exercise were associated with poor health status before, during, and after pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS: Women experience substantial changes in health status during and after pregnancy. These data should guide the expectations of women, their health care providers, and public policy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Jennifer S. Haas MD, MSPH & Phyllis Brawarsky MPH

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Jennifer S. Haas MD, MSPH

  3. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Rebecca A. Jackson MD

  4. Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Elena Fuentes-Afflick MD, MPH

  5. Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Anita L. Stewart PhD

  6. Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Mitzi L. Dean MHA, MS

  7. Perinatal Research Unit, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Division of Research, Oakland, CA, USA

    Gabriel J. Escobar MD

Authors
  1. Jennifer S. Haas MD, MSPH
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  2. Rebecca A. Jackson MD
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  3. Elena Fuentes-Afflick MD, MPH
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  4. Anita L. Stewart PhD
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  5. Mitzi L. Dean MHA, MS
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  6. Phyllis Brawarsky MPH
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  7. Gabriel J. Escobar MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer S. Haas MD, MSPH.

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None of the authors has a conflict of interest.

This work was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD37389).

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Haas, J.S., Jackson, R.A., Fuentes-Afflick, E. et al. Changes in the health status of women during and after pregnancy. J GEN INTERN MED 20, 45–51 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.40097.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.40097.x

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