Occupational physical activities, working hours and outcome of pregnancy: findings from the Southampton Women's Survey
Occupational physical activities, working hours and outcome of pregnancy: findings from the Southampton Women's Survey
Objectives: To investigate risks of physical activity at work by pregnancy trimester, including the effects on head and abdominal circumference.
Method: At 34 weeks of gestation we interviewed 1327 mothers from the prospective Southampton Women’s Survey (SWS); we asked about their activities (working hours, standing/walking, kneeling/squatting, trunk bending, lifting and night shifts) in jobs held at each of 11, 19 and 34 weeks of gestation, and subsequently ascertained four birth outcomes (preterm delivery, small for gestational age (SGA) and reduced head or abdominal
circumference) blinded to employment history.
Results: Risk of preterm delivery was elevated nearly threefold in women whose work at 34 weeks entailed trunk bending for >1 h/day. Small head circumference was more common in babies born to women who worked for >40 h/week. However, no statistically significant associations were found with SGA or small abdominal circumference, and preterm delivery showed little association with long working hours, lifting, standing or
shift work.
Conclusions: There is a need for more research on trunk bending late in pregnancy, and on the relationship of work to reduced head circumference. Our findings on several other occupational exposures common among pregnant workers are reassuring.
685-690
Bonzini, M.
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Coggon, D.
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Godfrey, K.
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Inskip, H.
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Crozier, S.
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Palmer, K.T.
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October 2009
Bonzini, M.
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Coggon, D.
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Godfrey, K.
0931701e-fe2c-44b5-8f0d-ec5c7477a6fd
Inskip, H.
5fb4470a-9379-49b2-a533-9da8e61058b7
Crozier, S.
1f39648f-d527-497f-bb40-319f487a0782
Palmer, K.T.
0cfe63f0-1d33-40ff-ae8c-6c33601df850
Bonzini, M., Coggon, D., Godfrey, K., Inskip, H., Crozier, S. and Palmer, K.T.
(2009)
Occupational physical activities, working hours and outcome of pregnancy: findings from the Southampton Women's Survey.
Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 66 (10), .
(doi:10.1136/oem.2008.043935).
Abstract
Objectives: To investigate risks of physical activity at work by pregnancy trimester, including the effects on head and abdominal circumference.
Method: At 34 weeks of gestation we interviewed 1327 mothers from the prospective Southampton Women’s Survey (SWS); we asked about their activities (working hours, standing/walking, kneeling/squatting, trunk bending, lifting and night shifts) in jobs held at each of 11, 19 and 34 weeks of gestation, and subsequently ascertained four birth outcomes (preterm delivery, small for gestational age (SGA) and reduced head or abdominal
circumference) blinded to employment history.
Results: Risk of preterm delivery was elevated nearly threefold in women whose work at 34 weeks entailed trunk bending for >1 h/day. Small head circumference was more common in babies born to women who worked for >40 h/week. However, no statistically significant associations were found with SGA or small abdominal circumference, and preterm delivery showed little association with long working hours, lifting, standing or
shift work.
Conclusions: There is a need for more research on trunk bending late in pregnancy, and on the relationship of work to reduced head circumference. Our findings on several other occupational exposures common among pregnant workers are reassuring.
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Published date: October 2009
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Local EPrints ID: 69758
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/69758
ISSN: 1351-0711
PURE UUID: 7b8d5501-d16a-47a1-a230-3c85564dc21d
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Date deposited: 02 Dec 2009
Last modified: 12 Nov 2024 02:36
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Contributors
Author:
M. Bonzini
Author:
D. Coggon
Author:
S. Crozier
Author:
K.T. Palmer
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