This study explored how maternal and infant illness correlated with the risk of postpartum depression in the Chinese Qinba Mountains region. In total, 131 villages comprising 435 families with infants (≤6 months old) were randomly sampled. We collected data on maternal and infant illnesses and maternal health knowledge level. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 was used to measure the risk of postpartum depression. We used descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression for the analysis. Infant overall health status was a risk factor for postpartum depression (odds ratio (OR) = 1.90, 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) = 1.10~3.28), whereas maternal overall health status was not correlated with postpartum depression (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 0.55~3.39). For specific illnesses, infants experiencing over two common illnesses in the past two weeks (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.13~3.45) and mothers experiencing over two common pains within two weeks after delivery (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.02~3.08) were risk factors for postpartum depression, whereas infants with mild and severe stunted growth, maternal C-section, and postpartum body mass index (normal or overweight) were not correlated with it (all p > 0.050). Maternal health knowledge was an important moderator of maternal and infant illnesses on the risk of postpartum depression. In conclusion, maternal and infant illness were essential factors for the risk of postpartum depression in a poor rural region in western China, which may be mainly affected by the feeling of uncertainty of illness. Improved maternal and infant health and enhanced maternal health knowledge might alleviate the risk of postpartum depression.

Chronic diseases can be controlled through effective self-management. The purpose of this study is to explore the regularity of clinical visits and medication adherence of patients with hypertension or diabetes (PWHD), and its association with the first experience with care and individual factors in rural Southwestern China. This cross-sectional study was carried out in Yunnan province in 2018 and recruited 292 PWHD and 122 village clinics from 122 villages in 10 counties. Participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Results show around 39% of hypertensive and 25% of diabetic patients neither visited physicians nor took medicine regularly during the preceding three months of the interview date. The regression results further indicated that individual characteristics of the PWHD, including patient age, health status, and economic level, as well as their first experience with care, were significantly associated with their regular healthcare behavior. In addition to providing medical services, on average each sample village clinic, with around two physicians, simultaneously managed 180 hypertensive and 45 diabetic patients. This study revealed the need for further reforms in terms of improving self-management and thus recommends an increase in the quantity and the quality of human resources in the primary healthcare realm in rural China.