Health and working conditions of pregnant women working inside and outside the home in Mexico City.
BACKGROUND
To explore differences related to health and working conditions by comparing socio-demographic parameters, reproductive and prenatal care characteristics and working conditions among pregnant women who are employed outside the home (extra-domestic) while still performing a domestic workload versus those who perform exclusively domestic work in the home (intra-domestic).


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was carried out at Family Medicine Unit N 31 of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Mexico City between April and July 2003. Interviews were conducted with 537 pregnant women engaged in either extra-domestic work plus intra-domestic tasks, or those performing strictly intra-domestic work. Information was obtained regarding their demographic status, prenatal care, reproductive, work characteristics, and health during pregnancy.


RESULTS
One hundred ninety-six (36.5%) of the interviewed women had paid jobs outside the home in addition to domestic tasks, while three hundred forty-one (63.5 %) engaged in exclusively intra-domestic occupations. Of the women with paid jobs, 78.6% worked as clerks. Among domestic tasks, we found that the greatest workload was associated with washing of clothes, and our micro-ergonomic analysis revealed that women who worked strictly inside the home had a higher domestic workload versus employed women (69.2 vs. 44.9%). When we analyzed the effect of work on health during pregnancy, we observed that women who worked strictly inside the home were at a higher risk for musculoskeletal and genitourinary symptoms than those employed outside the home.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the effect of intra-domestic work should not be ignored when considering women's health during pregnancy, and that greater attention should be paid to women's working conditions during intra and extra-domestic work.
Torres-Arreola
Laura del Pilar
Ldel P
Health Services and Epidemiologic Research Unit, National Medical Center Century XXI, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Mexico. laura.torres@imss.gob.mx
Constantino-Casas
Patricia
P
Villa-Barragán
Juan Pablo
JP
Doubova
Svetlana Vladislavovna
SV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population