222 - Post-Partum Depressive Symptoms and Early Shared Reading in Rhode Island Families

Publication Number: 3214.222

Jnev Biros, Hasbro Children's Hospital at Rhode Island Hospital, providence, RI, United States; Annie Gjelsvik, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States; karine Monteiro, RI Department of Health, North Providence, RI, United States; Pamela C. High, Brown University Health, Providence, RI, United States

Background: Reading with a young child creates opportunities for early intimate experiences with their parents and through language-stimulating interactions prepares children for later reading success. Post-partum depressive symptoms (PPDSx) have been reported as barriers to nurturing parent-child relationships and their implications on early literacy practices require further study.

Objective: To investigate the association of shared reading with PPDSx and related risk factors among new mothers in RI 2-6 months after their infant’s birth before and during the pandemic. We hypothesize that mothers with PPDSx will have less shared reading than mothers without depressive symptoms when other sociodemographic factors are controlled.

Design/Methods: We analyzed 5861 surveys from Rhode Island’s 2016-2021 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System completed by new mothers when their infants were 2-6 months old. Mothers were asked whether in the previous week they read with their infant and if they were experiencing PPDSx. Analyses were conducted in STATA 18.0, accounting for survey weighting and complex sampling design. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models examined associations between shared reading and PPDSx, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: Mothers were 30.3 (SD=5.6) years old; 53% were White Non-Hispanic, 27.8% Hispanic, 6.3% Black Non-Hispanic, 10.4% Other Non-Hispanic; 41% had at least a bachelor’s degree. Overall, 65.7% had 11 or more children’s books at home and 8.3% reported that their infants were difficult to console (DTC). 13% of mothers acknowledged PPDSx; 77% reported shared reading in the past week (SR). In multivariable models adjusting for maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, infant consolability and number of children’s books at home mothers with PPDSx were less likely to report SR (aOR=0.75 (0.6-0.95)). The pandemic year 2020 marked a peak for SR (aOR=2.13 (1.62-2.8). Having more children’s books at home, identifying as White Non-Hispanic, and higher maternal education were associated with greater odds of SR. Having a DTC infant was associated with lower odds of SR.

Conclusion(s): This population-based study identified an association between PPDSx and lower SR among mothers with 2-6 months old infants. Maternal race/ethnicity, education, number of children’s books at home and pandemic year also contributed to SR frequency suggesting differences based on access to resources and increased socialization at home during the pandemic. Findings suggest that infant inconsolability should prompt maternal mental health screening in pediatric primary care.

Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for shared reading among Rhode Island mothers, RI PRAMS 2016-2021
table w:highlights.pdf

Distribution of family’s reading to their 2-6 months old infant by maternal post-partum depressive symptoms, RI PRAMS 2016-2021
Table 1 - demographics.pdf