About the project

Postpartum depression is one of the most common mental health conditions associated with childbirth. It can significantly impact quality of life for the mother and whānua/family as well as have profound life-long impacts on the child’s developmental outcomes. One key risk factor associated with postpartum depression is diet during pregnancy. Specifically, sugar consumption is associated with a greater risk of postpartum depression. However, the mechanisms involved are largely unknown. One potential mechanism may include chronic stress moderating the relationship between sugar consumption and postpartum depression. We hypothesize that stress will exacerbate the deleterious effects of sugar consumption on postpartum depression risk. We will test whether diet and chronic stress during pregnancy compound the risk of experiencing postpartum depression symptoms nine months postpartum using longitudinal data from the Growing Up in New Zealand birth cohort study. A composite score will be derived to reflect chronic stress during pregnancy, which will include perceived stress, warmth and hostility, conflict, family stress, environmental stress, external family support, and discrimination. Chronic stress will be tested as a moderator of the relationship between prenatal sugar consumption (measured during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy) and the Edinburgh postnatal depression scores (measured nine months postpartum). Effect size will be determined using standardized beta regression coefficients and a bootstrap test with 5,000 replications will be used to determine if results are robust. Dissemination activities will include a chapter in a student’s PhD thesis, a peer-reviewed journal article, and providing relevant information to key policy partners and communities.

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Start date: 11/12/2023

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