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Perinatal stress, anxiety, and depression impacts not only women but also their child(ren). The purpose of this longitudinal study is to explore trends of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms from pregnancy to postpartum and understand predictions of stress and anxiety on postpartum depression. One-hundred-fifty-six women at 23–28 weeks gestation (T1), 147 at 32–36 weeks gestation (T2), 129 at over 36 weeks gestation (T3), and 83 at postpartum (T4) completed study surveys. The Perceived Stress Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used to measure stress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Descriptive statistics, Pearson and Spearman’s correlation, and Generalized Estimating Equation were applied to analyze the data. Results showed that levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms increased from 24 weeks gestation to postpartum, whereas stress levels decreased during pregnancy but increased in postpartum. Over half of women experienced anxiety symptoms, especially during late pregnancy and postpartum. Stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were inter-correlated. Notably, women at late pregnancy and postpartum were prone to stress, anxiety, and depression. Prenatal anxiety could predict postpartum depressive symptoms. Active assessment and management of stress, anxiety, and depression is needed and should begin from early pregnancy and continue until postpartum.

Postpartum maternal happiness, an indicator of quality of life that may decrease the effects of negative emotions such as postpartum depression, is not well studied. The purpose of this analysis was to explore how postpartum mothers experience happiness. Data were part of two cross-sectional studies with snowball sampling designed to understand health status of Chinese postpartum mothers. Forty-eight and 151 Chinese mothers within 1-year postpartum in the United States and Taiwan, respectively, answered an open-ended question about the happiest events they experienced during the postpartum period. Qualitative data were analyzed by bracketing contexts to meaning units, aggregating meaning units into themes, and deriving a thematic structure that fitted all themes. Interconnectedness and fulfillment were identified as describing postpartum maternal happiness. Existence of the baby, interaction with the baby, connecting everybody in the family, and integration of the baby into the family were the categories of interconnectedness whereas extension of mother’s life, achievement, and being supported were the categories of fulfillment. The center of the postpartum mother’s life was the baby and the baby, as well as activities associated with the baby, was the main source of mothers’ happiness. Family support and achievement of various expectations, including continuation of the family name, also contributed to maternal happiness. Helping new mothers to understand both positive and negative emotions may encourage further discussion about areas in which mothers are feeling particularly challenged. Interventions such as cognitive counseling that stresses positive emotions may be used to assist new mothers find a healthy balance of emotions, especially cope with depression or feelings of sadness.

Background: Although the prevalence of obesity continues to increase worldwide, information related to obese school-aged children's perceptions of exercise remains limited. Purpose: This study aimed to explore perceptions of exercise held by obese school-aged children. Methods: This study used a qualitative research design. Using purposive sampling, 11 obese students who were 11 to 13 years old, currently enrolled at two primary schools, and in the precontemplation stage were recruited from a total population of 1, 714 to participate in the study. An interview guide with five open-ended questions was used to guide focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using content analysis to identify significant themes. Results: Six themes emerged from collected data, including (a) positive impressions about doing exercise, (b) recognition of negative effects associated with not doing exercise, (c) feelings of discomfort after exercise, (d) self-ambivalence, (e) false beliefs about exercise, and (f) making excuses for not doing exercise. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Study findings provided information giving a better understanding of exercise perceptions among obese children. Such may be used to assist obese children to increase exercise levels as part of efforts to improve health in this vulnerable population.