Mental Health of Pregnant Women and Breastfeeding Mothers in Matam: A 21-Day Longitudinal Study During the Hot Season
How does extreme heat affect mothers’ well-being and mental health over the course of several days ?
To find out, monitoring must be conducted over an extended period. This is the focus of the self-assessment survey being conducted by the SPRINT-Sen project from June 9 to 29, 2026, in the midst of the hot season, among pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers at its four study sites. Administered in parallel with the third wave of the quantitative survey, this data collection aims to capture, as closely as possible to everyday life, what a one-time survey cannot: a home visit provides a snapshot at a given moment but does not adequately reflect naturally fluctuating states such as mood, irritability, anxiety, or sleep quality.
A study nested within the cohort
This survey draws on households from the cohort, which were already being followed during previous waves, and builds upon the initial in-home data collected during heat waves, as well as the initial mental health data gathered. Its objective: to track, day by day, changes in the emotional and mental state of a sample of 220 women over a period of twenty-one (21) days at the project’s four sites (Matam, Ourossogui, Gaol, and Taiba). Participants were randomly selected from among eligible women in these households.
A study born from field observations
This study has its origins in the project’s initial qualitative data. Interviews conducted with mothers, families, and healthcare professionals highlighted the particular vulnerability of pregnant and breastfeeding women to the effects of heat on mental health. The longitudinal data collection is specifically designed to better understand and quantify these effects: it documents how psychological difficulties evolve over time in response to environmental conditions, focusing in particular on the impact of heat on sleep, fluctuations in income, and the quality of family relationships.
A Study Led by Local Community Workers
To administer this questionnaire, the project relies on trained community workers tasked with collecting responses from selected women in their area of operation. Their deep local roots and the trusting relationships they have built with participants are a key asset: they facilitate the daily collection of insights about mental health, a topic that is often difficult to discuss.
