This study addresses the critical gap in epidemiological data on antenatal depression in China, a condition that profoundly impacts maternal and infant health. Conducted as a cross-sectional survey from December 2019 to March 2023, the research enrolled 100,200 pregnant women across 27 hospitals in 11 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous areas. Late-pregnancy depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). This survey reveals that the overall prevalence of possible depression (EPDS >9) was 25.8%, and probable depression (EPDS >12) was 11.4%, with significant regional variation (highest in North China, lowest in East China). Young maternal age, low education levels, low family income, unemployment, living alone, unmarried/divorced status, unintended pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, insufficient social support, tobacco/alcohol use, and poor sleep quality were identified as risk factors for antenatal depression. Notably, family support, particularly from partners, emerges as a pivotal intervention target for reducing antenatal depression risk.

A researcher at Osaka Metropolitan University investigated the active travel effects of an mHealth app that incentivizes daily walking. The results revealed that the mHealth app’s incentives to exchange train tickets increased users’ daily walking steps by 626.2 steps/day for five months.