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. 2019 Nov 29;37(4):602–622. doi: 10.1111/dme.14170

Table 4.

Summary of data provided by each study and effect estimates for high levels of postnatal depressive symptoms

Author and year Sample size Mental disorder measure and time GDM measure Ethnicity Pre‐pregnancy BMI (kg/m2) Risk of bias Prevalence of depression in GDM group (%) Unadjusted OR (95% CI)
Al‐Shahrani et al., 2011 113

EPDS ≥12

1 week postpartum
75 g OGTT Saudi Arabia (ethnicity unspecified) Unavailable High 41.1 Not used for meta‐analysis as unclear if pre‐GDM excluded
Beka et al., 2018 326 723

ICD‐9 and ‐10

Up to 1 year postpartum

Diagnostic codes

24–28 weeks gestation

Aboriginal: 5.9%

Chinese: 3%

South Asian: 8.5%

‘General population’: 82.6%

Underweight (≤ 45kg) 0.6%

Overweight (≥ 91kg) 8.6%
Low to moderate 13.1 1.06* (1.00–1.11)
Bener et al., 2012 1379 EPDS ≥12 Within 6 months of delivery Not specified Qatar (ethnicity unspecified) Unavailable High 25.5 Not used for meta‐analysis as unclear if pre‐GDM excluded
Berger et al., 2015 537 EPDS ≥13 Between day 0 and day 4 postpartum Not specified

Caucasian: 63.6–71.1%

African American: 5.5–9.1%

Other: 22.5–29.7%

Mean (sd)

From 25.7 (6.0) to 27.6 (8.6) in different subgroups
High 9.7* Not used for meta‐analysis as unclear if pre‐GDM excluded
Besser et al., 2007 209

CES‐D ≥ 16

8 weeks' postpartum

50 g OGTT

24–28 weeks' gestation

Two abnormal OGTT (at 1 and 3 h)

Israel (ethnicity unspecified) Unavailable Low to moderate 47 1.31* (0.76–2.27)
Blom et al., 2010 4941

EPDS ≥ 13

Two months postpartum

Midwife and hospital registries

Dutch midwifery and obstetric guidelines: random glucose > 11.1 mmol/l or fasting > 7.0 mmol/l

Dutch: 62.9%

Other Western: 18.7%

Non‐Western: 18.4%

Unavailable Low to moderate 12.5 Not used for meta‐analysis as unclear if pre‐GDM excluded
Clark et al., 2019 766

DSM‐IV major depressive disorder, atypical depressive disorder or depressive disorder not otherwise specified

Up to 6 months postpartum

1‐h 75 g OGTT: 7.8 mmol/l

1‐h 100 g OGTT: 10 mmol/l

2‐h 100 g OGTT: 8.45 mmol/l

Fasting glucose: 5.1 mmol/l

Caucasian: 40.2%

Hispanic: 15.7%

African American: 4.5%

Asian: 36.8%

Native American: 2.8%
Unavailable Low to moderate 7.9* 0.94 (0.56–1.58)*
Farr et al., 2014 4451 Self‐report but validated against diagnostic interview ‘in the postpartum' Self‐report USA (unable to calculate) Unable to calculate Low to moderate 10.9* Only adjusted estimates provided
Ferrari et al., 2018 173

BDI‐I ≥10 and BDI‐II ≥14

Up to 1 year postpartum

OGTT and IADPSG criteria

Any one of: Fasting plasma glucose ≥5.1 mmol/l

1‐h post 75 g OGTT ≥10.0 mmol/l

2‐h post 75 g OGTT ≥8.5 mmol/l
Germany (ethnicity unspecified)

NB in postpartum

Mean (sd)

No depressive symptoms: 25.5 (5.9)

Mild/moderate depressive symptoms 29.2 (7.7)

High 12.7 Unavailable
Gunderson et al., 2015 1035

CES‐D ≥16

6–9 weeks postpartum

Carpenter–Coustan criteria

On 3‐h 100g OGTT, two or more of: Fasting ≥ 5.3 mmol/l

1 h ≥ 10 mmol/l

2 h ≥ 8.6 mmol/l

3 h ≥ 7.8 mmol/l

Non‐Hispanic White: 15–24.6%

Non‐Hispanic Black: 7–11.5%

Hispanic: 29–40.7%

Asian: 31.9–37.4%

Other: 0.9–2%

Mean (sd)

29 (6.9) to 33.4 (8.3
Low to moderate 13.2 Unavailable
Hinkle et al., 2016 2802 EPDS ≥10 at 6 weeks postpartum or self‐reported antidepressant medication use in postpartum

Medical records

Carpenter–Coustan criteria

On 3‐h 100 g OGTT, two or more of:

Fasting ≥5.3 mmol/l

1‐h ≥ 10 mmol/l

2‐h ≥ 8.6 mmol/l

3‐h ≥ 7.8 mmol/l

Non‐Hispanic White: 28%

Non‐Hispanic Black: 27.6%

Hispanic: 28.8%

Asian: 15.6%

Normal weight: 56.4%

Overweight: 26.3%

Obese 17.3%
High 14.8 4.52 (1.23–16.69)
Huang et al., 2015 2112

EPDS ≥13

6 months postpartum
1‐h 50 g non‐fasting glucose challenge test (GCT) and if > 140 mg/dl, then 3‐h 100 g fasting OGTT according to ADA criteria

(Percentages across categories of depression)

White: 50–72%

Black: 13–24%

Hispanic: 6–14%

Asian: 4–7%

Other: 4–7%

(Percentages across categories of depression)

Underweight (< 18.5): 3–6%

Normal (18.5 to < 25): 50–61%

Overweight (25 to < 30): 20–26%

Obese (≥ 30): 14–25%
High 11 1.45 (0.71–2.99) (age adjusted)
Katon et al., 2014 1319

PHQ‐9 ≥ 10

6 weeks postpartum
ICD‐9 GDM (648.8) from medical records

White: 73.8%

African American: 5.6%

Hispanic: 4.6%

Other: 16.0%
Unavailable Low to moderate 5.4 1.02* (0.57‐1.8)
Kim et al., 2005 1445

Short form CES‐D 10 items ≥ 11

8–12 weeks postpartum
Medical records

Latina: GDM 50%, control 34.7%

White: GDM 25%, control 34.1%

African American: GDM 17.2%, control 16.6%

Other: GDM 7.8%, control 14.6%

Normal/underweight (< 25): GDM 34.4%, control 62.5%

Overweight (25–29.9): GDM 20.3%, control 22.6%

Obese (≥30): GDM 45.3%, control 14.9%
Low to moderate 14.1* Unavailable
Koutra et al., 2016 1037

EPDS ≥13

8 weeks postpartum

3‐h 100 g OGTT

Carpenter–Coustan criteria

Fasting ≥ 5.3 mmol/l

1‐h ≥ 10 mmol/l

2‐h ≥ 8.6 mmol/l

3‐h ≥ 7.8 mmol/l

Greek: 93%

Other: 7%

Mean (sd)

EPDS < 13 24.16 (4.87)

EPDS ≥13 24.18 (4.76)
Low to moderate 18.4 Not used for meta‐analysis as unclear if pre‐GDM excluded
Kumpulainen et al., 2018 3215

CES‐D ≥ 16

2 and/or 28 weeks postpartum

Medical records

75 g OGTT fasting ≥ 5.1, 1 h 10.0 or 2 h 8.5 mmol/l

Finland (ethnicity unspecified)

In early pregnancy‐Underweight (<18.5): 3.3%

Normal 18.5–24.99): 63.9%

Overweight (25–29.99): 19.6%

Obese (≥ 30): 13.3%
Low to moderate 20.9 1.13 (0.86–1.49)
Mautner et al., 2009 40

EPDS ≥ 10

3–4 months postpartum
Medical records Austria (ethnicity unspecified) Unavailable High 27.3 1.8 (0.35–9.28)
Natasha et al., 2018 734

MADRS ≥ 13

Within 1 week postpartum
Plasma glucose ≥ 7.0 (WHO criteria) or ≥ 5.3 mmol/l at fasting and ≥ 8.6 mmol/l at 2‐h post 75 g OGTT (ACOG criteria) Bangladesh (ethnicity unspecified) Unavailable Low to moderate 12.8 3.39 (1.86–6.17)
Nehbandani et al., 2016 262

EPDS ≥12

4–6 weeks postpartum

At least one abnormal result on 2‐h 75 g OGTT: fasting ≥ 92 mg/dl (5.1 mmol/l)

1‐h ≥ 180 mg/dl (10 mmol/l)

2‐h ≥ 153 mg/dl (8.5 mmol/l)

Iran (ethnicity unspecified) Unavailable High 34.3 2.21* (1.25–3.89)
Nicklas et al., 2013 71

EPDS ≥9

4–15 weeks postpartum

Carpenter–Coustan criteria

On 3‐h 100g OGTT, two or more of: Fasting ≥ 5.3 mmol/l

1 h ≥ 10 mmol/l

2 h ≥8 .6 mmol/l

3 h ≥ 7.8 mmol/l

African American: 28%

Asian: 13%

Hispanic: 21%

Non‐Hispanic White: 38%
Mean 30 High 33.8 Unavailable
O'Reilly et al., 2016 573

PHQ‐9 ≥ 10

3 months postpartum

ADIPS criteria

One or more: Fasting plasma glucose ≥5.1 mmol/l

1‐h post 75 g OGTT ≥ 10.0 mmol/l

2‐h post 75 g OGTT ≥ 8.5 mmol/l

Africa: 3.5%

Americas: 0.7%

Asia: 38.9%

Europe: 29%

Oceania: 1.2%

Australia and New Zealand: 22.9%

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander: 0.2%

Mean (sd)

28.8 (6.8)

Postnatal baseline
Low to moderate 10.4 Unavailable
Ruohomäki et al., 2018 1066

EPDS ≥ 10

8 weeks postpartum
Medical records Finnish current care guidelines: 75 g OGTT with at least one abnormal value ≥ 5.3 mmol/l for fasting stage, ≥10.0 mmol/l at 1 h and ≥ 8.6 mmol/l at 2 h= Finnish (ethnicity unspecified)

Mean (sd)

No GDM: 24.1 (4.3)

GDM: 28.7 (6.5)
High Unavailable 1.84 (1.13–3.00)
Silverman et al., 2017 701 404

ICD‐9 and ‐10

Up to 1 year postpartum
Birth registers Sweden (ethnicity unspecified) Unavailable High 1.4 2.3* (1.72–3.09)
Varela et al., 2017 93

EPDS ≥ 13

1 week postpartum
Self‐report (not reported in paper but information provided by study author) Greek: 97.8% Unavailable High 35.7 4.32 (1.18–15.78)
Walmer et al., 2015 18 888 ICD‐9 ‘in the postpartum’

1‐h 50 g glucose load test ≥ 7.8 and 3‐h 100 g OGTT

Carpenter–Coustan criteria

On 3‐h 100g OGTT, two or more of: Fasting ≥ 5.3 mmol/l

1 h ≥ 10 mmol/l

2 h ≥ 8.6 mmol/l

3 h ≥ 7.8 mmol/l

Asian: 7.2%

Black: 5.8%

Hispanic: 25.7%

White: 61.3%

Mean (sd)

From first antenatal visit

GDM: 29 (7.2)

No GDM: 25.3 (5.2)
Low to moderate Unavailable 1.45 (1.15–1.82) (age adjusted)
Youn et al., 2017 1 269 130

ICD‐10

Up to 1 year postpartum
ICD‐10 codes South Korea (ethnicity unspecified) Unavailable High 3.9 Not used for meta‐analysis as unclear if pre‐GDM excluded
Zwolinska‐Kloc et al., 2017 70

MINI diagnostic interview ICD‐10

6–7 months postpartum

OGTT

24–28 weeks gestation (not reported in paper but information provided by study author)
Poland (ethnicity unspecified) Unavailable High 8.6 7.65* (0.38 153.76)
Median prevalence 13.1% (IQR 10.4–25.5%)
Pooled OR 1.59 (95% CI 1.26, 2.00)

*Derived from data in paper. Estimate given in paper. Data provided by study author.

ADIPS, Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society; BDI, Beck Depression Inventory; CES‐D, Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression; DSM‐IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders‐IV; EPDS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; IADPSG, International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups; MADRS, Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale; OGTT, oral glucose tolerance test; PHQ‐9, Patient Health Questionnaire‐9.