Baseline characteristics of 400 trial participants
| Control group (N=196) | Intervention group (N=204) | |
|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographic | ||
| Age (years) | 32.0 (5.1) | 31.8 (5.2) |
| Born in Australia | 149 (76.0%) | 157 (77.0%) |
| Speak only English at home | 159 (81.1%) | 174 (85.3%) |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander | 2 (1.0%) | 1 (0.5%) |
| Holds a Health Care card* | 31 (15.8%) | 24 (11.8%) |
| Married/de facto | 185 (94.4%) | 198 (97.1%) |
| Highest education level | ||
| University degree or above | 129 (65.8%) | 120 (58.8%) |
| Postsecondary trade training or certificate | 36 (18.4%) | 41 (20.1%) |
| Up to or complete secondary schooling | 31 (15.8%) | 43 (21.1%) |
| Managerial or professional occupation | 98 (50.0%) | 109 (53.4%) |
| Socio-Economic Index for Area | 1011 (31.8) | 1012 (38.7) |
| Reproductive health | ||
| Prior pregnancy | 56 (28.6%) | 53 (25.0%) |
| Unintended index pregnancy | 49 (25.0%) | 46 (22.6%) |
| Medically assisted conception | 15 (7.7%) | 16 (7.8%) |
| Caesarean birth | 71 (36.2%) | 67 (32.8%) |
| Mental health | ||
| Psychiatric history | ||
| Depression | 27 (13.8%) | 40 (19.6%) |
| Anxiety disorder | 27 (13.8%) | 32 (15.7%) |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder | 7 (3.6%) | 4 (2.0%) |
| Eating or dieting disorder | 3 (1.5%) | 9 (4.4%) |
| Other psychiatric condition including bipolar disorder, alcohol or opiate addiction | 4 (2.0%) | 6 (2.9%) |
| PHQ Depression score | 3.4 (3.3) | 3.9 (3.5) |
| PHQ GAD 7 score | 2.9 (3.1) | 3.6 (3.8) |
| PHQ Panic | 1 (0.5%) | 4 (2.0) |
| Any disability associated with any PHQ symptoms† | 90 (45.9%) | 94 (46.1%) |
| General health and breastfeeding | ||
| Excellent or very good self-rated health | 166 (84.7%) | 169 (82.8%) |
| Ever breastfed | 188 (95.9%) | 197 (96.6%) |
| Current feeding | ||
| Only breast milk | 133 (70.7%) | 134 (68.0%) |
| Only formula | 15 (8.0%) | 22 (11.2%) |
| Both breast milk and formula | 40 (21.3%) | 41 (20.8%) |
| Infant health and infant care | ||
| Gestational age at birth (weeks) | 39.4 (1.6) | 39.5 (1.7) |
| Singleton birth | 194 (99.0%) | 202 (99.0%) |
| Female baby | 99 (50.5%) | 102 (50.0%) |
| Confident about infant care on discharge from maternity hospital | 110 (56.1%) | 103 (50.5%) |
| Baby age at baseline (weeks) | 6.1 (3.3) | 6.2 (3.0) |
| Baby’s health excellent or very good | 183 (93.4%) | 192 (94.1%) |
| Baby's sleep a problem in past 2 weeks | 56 (28.6%) | 55 (27.0%) |
| Duration crying/fussing prior 24 h | 3.2 (2.5) | 2.8 (2.0) |
| Other risk and protective factors for postnatal mental health | ||
| Childhood maltreatment | ||
| Physical abuse | 10 (5.1%) | 19 (9.3%) |
| Sexual abuse | 4 (2.1%) | 4 (2.0%) |
| Vulnerable Personality Scale | ||
| Vulnerability Subscale score | 12.5 (3.9) | 12.1 (4.1) |
| Organised/Responsive Subscale score | 11.7(1.9) | 11.8 (2.0) |
| Intimate Bonds Measure | ||
| Care Subscale score | 33.3 (4.6) | 32.7 (4.7) |
| Control Subscale score | 5.1 (5.2) | 4.6 (4.6) |
Data are n (%), or mean (SD).
*Health Care cards are held by people whose main income is a social protection benefit, who are unwaged students or have a very low household income.
†Only among those with clinically-significant symptoms.
GAD, Generalised Anxiety Disorder; PHQ, Patient Health Questionnaire.