Is Being a Health‑care Worker a Risk Factor for Women’s Reproductive System?

Abstract

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 χ2 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.

Keywords: Administrative personnel, emergency department personnel, reproductive system disorders