Intentions of preventive depression management for a healthy pregnancy by gender among unmarried college students in Korea: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Plain English summary Starting in early adulthood, such as college students in the preconception stage, it is necessary to take care of one’s mental health (including depression) in order to have a healthy pregnancy in the future. The early identification of adults needing depression management is also a major challenge. In this study, an online survey was conducted to investigate levels of depression among Korean college students and their intention to manage depression for a healthy future pregnancy, as well as to identify the influencing factors. Convenience recruitment was conducted by e-mail at one university in Korea, and 828 male and female college students responded to the survey. An analysis of the factors affecting the intention to manage depression for a healthy future pregnancy identified the components of the Theory of Planned Behavior as influencing factors in both men and women. In particular, self-efficacy had the greatest influence. However, the current level of depression was only a significant factor among women. These findings could help nurses recognize differences in gender characteristics for the intention of preventive depression management for a healthy pregnancy, and provide evidence to develop and implement the intervention. These efforts will ultimately reduce high-risk pregnancies due to poor mental health.

Keywords

• Depression
• Gender
• Mental health
• Reproductive health
• Self-efficacy