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Depression in Swedish women: relationship to factors at birth

  • PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY
  • Published:
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Abstract

Depression is a common and serious disorder that may have developmental origins. Birth-related factors have been related to childhood and adult occurrence of somatic as well as psychiatric disorders, but studies on the relationship between birth-related factors and depression are few and show mixed results. In addition, varying methods have been used to assess depression. Standardized clinical criteria to diagnose depression, combined with birth data collected from midwife records have not been used in most studies. Participants in the Prospective Population Study of Women in Sweden (803 women), born 1914, 1918, 1922 and 1930, provide information on birth factors and depression. Women participated from 1968 at mid-life ages of 38–60 years, to 2000, when they were age 78–92 years. Original birth records containing birth weight, length, head circumference, and gestational time, as well as social factors were obtained. Lifetime depression was diagnosed via multiple information sources. Symptoms were assessed using the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale and diagnoses were based on DSM-III-R criteria. Over their lifetime, 44.6% of women in this sample experienced depression. Birth weights ≤ 3500 g [odds ratio (OR), age-adjusted = 1.72; 95% CI 1.29–2.28, P < 0.001] and shorter gestational time (OR, age-adjusted = 1.13; 95% CI 1.04–1.24, P = 0.005) were independently associated with a higher odds of lifetime depression in a logistic regression model adjusted for age. Lower than median birth weights and shorter gestational time were related to lifetime depression in women. Both neurodevelopmental and environmental contributions to lifetime depression may be considered.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for birth factors collection: This work was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council [grant number B96-27X-11659, B96-19X-07509]; The Swedish Society of Medicine; The Swedish Nutrition Foundation; The Faculty of Medicine Göteborg University; Sahlgresnka University Hospital Research Fund; the Wilhelm and Martina Lundgren Foundation; and the Leon Memorial Fund. Funding for longitudinal study and analyses: This work was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council [grant number 2005-8460, 11 337, 11 267, 825-2007-7462); the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research [grant number 2001-2835, 2646, 2003-0234, 2004-0145, 0150, 2006-0020, 0596, 1506, 2008-1229, 1111]; Stiftelsen Söderström–Königska Sjukhemmet; Stiftelsen för Gamla Tjänarinnor; Handlanden Hjalmar Svenssons Forskningsfond; Stiftelsen Professor Bror Gadelius’ Minnesfond; The Alzheimer’s Association Stephanie B. Overstreet Scholars (IIRG-00-2159); The Alzheimer’s Association Zenith Award (ZEN-01-3151); The Göteborg Medical Society; The Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation Alma och Anna Yhlen’s Foundation; the Göteborg Medical Services and Social Services Administrations; the Fredrik and Rosa von Malmborgs Foundation for Brain Research; EU FP7 project LipiDiDiet, Grant Agreement No. 211696; and the Swedish Brain Power Project.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee for Medical Research of University of Gothenburg.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Section for Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Pia Gudmundsson, Deborah Gustafson, Margda Waern, Svante Östling, Tore Hällström, Sigurdur Palsson & Ingmar Skoog

  2. Section for Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Susan Andersson & Lena Hulthen

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Astra Zeneca, AB, Mölndal, Sweden

    Susan Andersson

  4. Departments of Neurology and Medicine, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box 1213, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA

    Deborah Gustafson

  5. Section for Psychiatry/Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Tore Hällström

Authors
  1. Pia Gudmundsson
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  2. Susan Andersson
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  3. Deborah Gustafson
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  4. Margda Waern
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  5. Svante Östling
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  6. Tore Hällström
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  7. Sigurdur Palsson
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  8. Ingmar Skoog
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  9. Lena Hulthen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Deborah Gustafson.

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Gudmundsson, P., Andersson, S., Gustafson, D. et al. Depression in Swedish women: relationship to factors at birth. Eur J Epidemiol 26, 55–60 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-010-9508-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-010-9508-7

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