title: Feasibility issues in reproductive biomonitoring of female flight attendants and teachers.
abstract: Flight attendants (FAs) may be at risk of adverse reproductive outcomes. We investigated the feasibility of biomonitoring studies in this mobile workforce. Forty-five female FAs and 26 female teachers (referents) collected daily urine and saliva samples for one menstrual cycle, provided daily diary data for approximately three months, and wore a wrist monitor to measure sleep disruption. A transport system enabled FAs to store samples while traveling. Overall, participation rates were low (37%) but of those recruited, over 90% of FAs and teachers completed the biomonitoring cycle. Data collection and sample integrity were not diminished by travel. Study methods resulted in good compliance and high quality data. It is possible to conduct studies of menstrual cycle function, sleep disruption, and circadian rhythm disruption in a mobile workforce potentially exposed to reproductive hazards.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA. Ewhelan@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Whelan
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grajewski
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Lorna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: Mimi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Teresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Schnorr
authors.forename: Edwin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Knecht
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kesner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009790:Occupations; D012016:Reference Values; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders; D013663:Teaching; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance