Is Being a Health-care Worker a Risk Factor for Women's Reproductive System?
BACKGROUND
Occupational exposures to workplace hazards in health-care workers can affect on their health including the reproductive system. Some exposures cause reproductive system disorders. Objective of this study was to compare reproductive system disorders between hospital personnel who work in clinical and administrative setting.


METHODS
This is a historical cohort study on clinical and administrative workers of hospitals. The study tool was flexible interview and questionnaire. Pregnant personnel had been followed until the end of pregnancy. Frequency of reproductive disorders was compared between two groups. Data were analyzed with SPSS 16, t-test, and χ(2) were calculated considering P < 0.05 as significant level. Odds ratio had been calculated with a confidence interval 95%.


RESULTS
Frequency of menses disorders in clinical personnel especially, personnel of emergency departments were the highest and showed a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.042). The odds ratio for menses disorders in clinical personnel was 1.362 (1.008-1.84) and in administrative personnel was 0.653 (0.368-1.159).


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical personnel are at higher risk for menses disorders compared with administrative personnel. Assessing the health of these personnel may help to improve future generation's health.
Health Sciences Research Center, Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Seyedeh Negar
SN
Assadi
Administrative personnel; emergency department personnel; reproductive system disorders