Introduction

Mental distress can have consequences for the health of women and children.

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of mental distress and to identify its association with socioeconomic, demographic, health-related behaviors, obstetrics, and health status in pregnant women.

Method

Cross-sectional study carried out with women undergoing prenatal care at the Unified Health System in Colombo-Paraná. The prevalence of mental distress was investigated using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire.

Results

Among pregnant women (n = 605), the prevalence of mental distress was 47.9% (95% CI [44.0, 51.9]). After an adjusted analysis, the following was associated with the outcome: living without a partner (PR 1.27; 95% CI [1.06, 1.52]), having up to seven years of schooling (PR 1.30; 95% CI [1.04, 1.63]), performing moderate or intense physical activity (PR 1.47; 95% CI [1.02, 2.12]), consuming alcohol in the last 12 months (PR 1.29; 95% CI [1.08, 1.54]), being in the third pregnancy (PR 1.33; 95% CI [1.06, 1.67]), in the last trimester of pregnancy (PR 1.43; 95% CI [1.06, 1.94]), and the presence of a common pregnancy symptom (PR 1.56; 95% CI [1.15, 2.11]).

Discussion and conclusion

Comprehensive mental health care during pregnancy is necessary especially for women in social vulnerability, at the end of pregnancy, and with worse health.