Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Biostatistics and Epidemiology 2383-4196 7 2 2021 07 04 143 153 Reza Beiranvand Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Zaher Khazaei Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Ilam, University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Maryam Parsanahad Abadan Faculty of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran Zahra Hamule Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran Susan Mohamadi Hossein Abadi Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology, Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mohaddese Rezaei Department of Physical Education, Sports Nutrition, Olom Tahghighat, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Shahnaz Ghalavandi Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. Victoria Momenabadi School of public Health, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran Maryam Seraji Health Promotion, Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. 2021 04 20 2021 05 29 Introduction: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major cause of burden of diseases in women within the first 4 weeks of delivery. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the role of various factors in PPD in the northern and northeastern regions of Khuzestan province.  Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was undertaken as the first phase of a case-control study on 1424 mothers in the first 24 to 48 hours after childbirth between January 2019 and January 2020. The data collected covered three areas: baseline characteristics, medical history, and PPD. The latter was measured using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale with a cut-off point of equal to or greater than 12. The collected data were analyzed using Stata-16 software and simple and multiple Logistic Regression models.  Results: The prevalence of PPD was estimated at 26.6% in the study sample. In the multiple model, the History of elective abortion (OR= 2.26, 95%CI=1.19, 4.27), delivery in the summer (OR= 2.11, 95%CI=1.39, 3.20), birth defect (OR= 2.09, 95%CI=1.10, 3.94), the history of infertility treatment (OR= 0.33, 95CI=0.18, 0.61) and living in urban areas (OR= 0.52, 95%CI=0.39, 0.70), had relationship with the chance of developing PPD.  Conclusion: The results of this study, which sought to identify factors reinforcing and preventing PPD, can be used to identify mothers at risk for PPD. Moreover, it can help make appropriate interventions, including psychological and emotional support of mother during and even before pregnancy to alleviate PPD. https://jbe.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jbe/article/view/484