Infertility and spontaneous abortion among female hairdressers: the Hordaland Health Study.
OBJECTIVE
The authors investigated the risks of negative reproductive outcome among female hairdressers.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 1997-1999, and 16,907 women in their forties were invited (response 71%). Information on infertility, delayed conception, spontaneous abortions, smoking, education, and occupation was collected.


RESULTS
Infertility and spontaneous abortion were higher among female hairdressers than among women in other occupations (adjusted relative risks = 1.30; 95% confidence intervals = 1.08 to 1.55 and 1.31; 1.07 to 1.60, respectively). There was a significant interaction between work and smoking habits. Smoking increased the risk of infertility among women in other occupations, but this was not found among hairdressers.


CONCLUSIONS
Female hairdressers have an increased risk of infertility and spontaneous abortions that might be due to their occupational chemical exposure. The risk was primarily found among never smokers.
Baste
Valborg
V
Research Group for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, UNIFOB, Bergen, Norway. valborg.baste@isf.uib.no
Moen
Bente E
BE
Riise
Trond
T
Hollund
Bjørg Eli
BE
Øyen
Nina
N
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D001505:Beauty Culture; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015987:Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009790:Occupations; D011247:Pregnancy; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires