Research about Epidemiology 2022

Running Head: Epidemiology
EPIDEMIOLOGY

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Epidemiology
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Methodology..............................................................................................................................3
Results........................................................................................................................................4
Discussion................................................................................................................................19
Conclusion................................................................................................................................20
Reference list............................................................................................................................21

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Epidemiology
Introduction
Gestational weight and postpartum depression are two common issues of pregnant women.
Aim of this research is to identify the link between postpartum depression and gestational
diabetes. This study is focusing on three selected journals on this topic. Gestational diabetes
may occur at any stage of pregnancy. In Australia, near about 12-14% of pregnant women are
suffering from gestational diabetes (Diabetesaustralia.com.au, 2019). On the other hand, it
has been found that near about 111000 of the pregnant women experience postpartum
depression in Australia (Aihw.gov.au, 2019). It has become an issue to understand the reason
behind these physical conditions. Factors that affect these disorders must be identified for
getting appropriate solutions for these issues (Rae, 2018). This study may shed light on the
existing link between these two physical conditions of pregnant women. Critical appraisal of
three previous research papers by using CASP checklist is being done. The research question
is the link between gestational weight and postpartum depression.
Methodology
For accomplishing the task, a literature search was carried out using different databases. This
includes Google Scholar, PubMed, Journal of Obstetric and other. The database was all in
English language and related to the research question. Different keywords like ‘depression',
‘gestational diabetes', ‘anxiety', ‘gestation weight', postpartum depression' are used to search
for information regarding the given research question. The studies that have a relation with
depression of women and gestational diabetes are selected. The studies that were not related
to women who experienced gestational period were excluded. CASP checklist was used as a
critical appraisal tool. This tool has been used to critically evaluate the selected articles
(Casp-uk.net, 2018). CASP checklist of cohort study, case-control, and RCT are selected for

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Epidemiology
fulfilling the purpose of this study. Three different tables are prepared for critical appraisal of
three different chosen articles. These studies are analyzed properly through the help of these
checklists and this has helped in answering the research question properly.
Results
Table 1: Case-Control Study (Byrn, M., & Penckofer, 2015)
Section A: Are the results of the trial valid?
1. Did the study address a clearly focused issue? Yes
Comments:
The article has focused on the relationship between gestational diabetes and depression.
The research design and methods are chosen to find result of this issue. Edinburgh
postnatal depression screen was used for measuring symptoms of depression.
2. Did the authors use an appropriate method to answer their question? Yes
Comments:
Case-control study was used in this article for investigating gestational diabetes and
depression in women. The authors have used The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen
(EPDS) to evaluate symptoms of depression in pregnant women and statistical analysis
has been performed. Different statistical methods like regression were applied in this
study.

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Epidemiology
Is it worth continuing?
3. Were the cases recruited in an acceptable way? Yes
Comments:
In this article, 135 subjects were included out of which 65 of them have GDM and 70 are
without GDM. Convenience sampling procedure was used for gathering participants for
this research. Medical and diagnosis reports of participants were checked thoroughly for
confirming the GDM. Inclusion of women was done who receives prenatal care and was
between 24 to 40 weeks of gestation. Women who are over 18 years of age are included
because symptoms of depression vary with stage of development.
4. Were the controls selected in an acceptable way? Yes
Comments:
The control was a group of women who did not have GDM. this group was selected
through a proper process. The one who refused or did not answer the questions were
refused and excluded. 70 women are selected as a control in this research that has helped
the researchers to evaluate the link between gestational diabetes. The controls and women
with GDM are compared through different parameters like age, gestational age, marital
status, income, and others.
5. Was the exposure accurately measured to minimize bias? Yes
Comments:

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Epidemiology
Questionnaire was given to collect information about the subjects. Symptoms of stress,
anxiety, and depression have been measured by Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
(EPDS). This technique was bias-free. Different variables are measured by analyzing
symptoms like depression, anxiety, and stress. Descriptive statistics and regression are
measured for analyzing distribution of samples.
6. (a) Aside from the experimental intervention, were the groups treated equally?
The groups were treated equally in this research but different factors were missed.
List:
● Genetic: This factor can impact on depression level of women.
● Environmental: Poor environment can increase the level of depression of women
during gestation period.
6. (b) Have the authors taken account of the potential confounding
factors in the design and/or in their analysis?
Yes
Comments:
The authors have included self-report measures and convenience sample for symptoms of
history and depression. Authors have identified these confounding factors from the
beginning. In this research, the researchers have adopted different methods like chi-