Influence of work on pregnancy outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of working in health services on complications of pregnancy, preterm deliveries and low birthweight (LBW).


METHODS
These indices were studied in 130 pregnancies that occurred within the preceding 5 years in 100 nursing officers (NOs) and 126 pregnancies in 100 clerical workers (CWs). Risk was assessed by calculating odds ratios. Confounding and interaction effects were studied by stratification.


RESULTS
Socio-economic background and antenatal care utilization in the two groups were similar. Occurrence of LBW was not significantly different (OR = 1.04; 0.57 < OR < 1.89; P = 0.89) although complications of pregnancy (OR = 2.18; 1.09 < OR < 4.38; P = 0.017) and preterm deliveries (OR = 5.64; 1.15 < OR < 37.73; P = 0.013) were higher in NOs. Further analysis showed that employment in health services has a positive effect in prevention of LBW among NOs in the presence of other risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Working in the health services had a negative effect on some of the indices while benefits of such employment had a positive effect on birth-weight.
Seneviratne
S R
SR
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Fernando
D N
DN
D000328:Adult; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008423:Maternal Age; D009726:Nurses; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology; D014937:Work