Pregnancy health and outcome in two cities in the Kola Peninsula, Northwestern Russia.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the study were to compare the prevalence of selected maternal and lifestyle factors as well as the reproductive outcome of working women in two cities in Northwestern Russia (Moncegorsk and Apatity), and to assess the quality of pregnancy-outcome data obtained in an interview with registered information.


METHODS
A retrospective questionnaire study in an interview format. Women (n =1696) from selected workplaces in Apatity and Moncegorsk participated (85% of those available). Information was collected about past pregnancies, including information about the pregnancy outcome, newborn, occupation, health and life-style.


RESULTS
The investigated groups had experienced 7,254 pregnancies in total, corresponding to 4.3 pregnancies on average per woman. In both groups, about one-half of the reported pregnancies were terminated, and three-quarters of the women had undergone an induced abortion. Spontaneous abortions had been experienced by 23% of the women in the Apatity group, which was higher than in the Moniegorsk group (16%). Previous spontaneous abortions appear more likely to be disclosed than induced abortions. The smoking prevalence was 37% in the Moncegorsk group and 24% in the Apatity group. Thirteen percent of all participants had been diagnosed with a pelvic inflammatory disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Induced abortions were common in Northwestern Russia regardless of city of residency, and the majority of the abortions appear to have occurred after the women had their attainable or desired number of children. The proportion of pregnancies resulting in a spontaneous abortion was higher in the investigated group in Apatity than in Moncegorsk, which should be investigated further. This study also confirmed that smoking has become more widespread among women in the Kola Peninsula, as elsewhere in Russia.
Talykova
Ljudmila Vasiljevna
LV
Institutt for Samfunnsmedisin, Universitetet i Tromsø, Norway.
Vaktskjold
Arild
A
Serebrjoakova
Natalja Garissonovna
NG
Khokhlov
Timofej Vladimirovitsj
TV
Strelkovskaja
Natalja Jurievna
NJ
Chashchin
Valerij Petrovitsj
VP
Nikanov
Aleksandr Nikolajevitsj
AN
Odland
Jon Oyvind
JO
Bykov
Vladimir
V
Nieboer
Evert
E
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000453:epidemiology; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017584:Reproductive History; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014504:Urban Health; D014931:Women, Working / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*