Physical Stress in the Workplace as Risk Factor in Pregnancy Outcome: Case Control Study of Completed Pregnancies in Owerri, Imo State

ABSTRACT

An association between occupational stress and adverse outcome of pregnancy has been hypothesized overtime by researchers but results from various studies have remained controversial. The aim of this study was to identify the role of occupational stress (exposure) in adverse outcome of pregnancy. This was a retrospective case control study carried out in Owerri Municipal Council, Imo State, Nigeria on 400 working women randomly selected at different levels of health care .A questionnaire was distributed to the subjects for the study with reference to work conditions and adverse outcome of pregnancy. Two hundred and seventy seven out of the 400 respondents were working. Twenty three of all the subjects had low birth weight babies, 7 had miscarriages and 4 had a still birth. Of the 277 working women, 21 had low birth weight babies, 4 had miscarriages and 4 had still birth as their birth outcome. Confounding factors of age and parity were managed by individual matching. Results revealed a statistically insignificant relationship between working as against being unemployed and adverse outcome of pregnancy [OR=1, 95% CI=0.17-5.79, p-value=1.0].All occupational risk factors considered were found not to have a statistically significant relationship with adverse outcome of pregnancy. Results revealed that for working >8hrs [OR=0.66, 95% CI(0.19-2.35),p-value=0.52, (φ)=0.41,(χ2)=0.09].Participation in shift work [OR=7.76,95%CI(0.85-70.75)p-value=0.07, (φ)=0.30,(χ2)=4.21].Poor physical conditions in terms of space, light and ventilation respectively ,Space [OR=0.58,95% CI(0.17-1.90),p-value=0.37,(φ)=-0.13,(χ2)=0.80],Light [OR=0.75,95% CI(0.18-3.28),p-value=0.71, (φ)=-0.05,(χ2)=0.14]. Ventilation [OR=0.75, 95% CI (0.18-3.28),p-value=0.71, (φ)=-0.05,(χ2)=0.14],Poor Cordiality at work place [OR=2.49,95% CI=(0.75-8.34),p-value=0.14, (φ)=0.22,(χ2)=2.24].Work schedules in the form of unclear job responsibility and working regularly above formal work hours [OR=0.34,95% CI=(0.10-1.13),p- value=0.08, (φ)=0.26,(χ2)=3.14] and [OR=0.48,95% CI=(0.12-1.95),p-value=0.30, (φ)=-0.15,(χ2)=1.08] respectively, poor gender sensitive practices in the workplace in the form of unusual workload in spite of being pregnant and deprivation of right to attend ante-natal classes [OR=1.40,95% CI=(0.28-7.11),p-value=0.68, (φ)=0.06,(χ2)=0.17] and [OR=4.59,95% CI=(0.84-25.17),p-value=0.08, (φ)=0.28,(χ2)=3.45].Heavy workload [OR=0.78,95% CI=(0.20-3.06),p- value=0.73, (φ)=-0.05,(χ2)=0.12].Type of work done [OR=0.28,95% CI=(0.06- 1.24),p-value=0.09, (φ)=0.26,(χ2)=2.98].Further studies by other researchers would go a long way in confirming or disputing the results of this study.

KEY WORDS: low birth weight, miscarriages, stillbirth, work schedules etc.

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