Occupational and Environmental Exposure Correlates of Adverse Live-Birth Outcomes Among 1,032 U.S. Navy Women

摘要

The integration of women into nontraditional military occupations raises questions concerning the impact of such jobs on women's reproductive health. This study examined to what extent women in their reproductive years report exposures to occupational and environmental potential hazards and to what extent such exposures were associated with adverse live-birth outcomes among Navy personnel. Data from a survey of pregnant Navy women provided both maternal and paternal exposure information on more than 1,000 active-duty women. Self- reported exposures to heavy metals, pesticides, petroleum products, and other chemicals were associated with adverse outcomes at the bivariate level. Only father's exposure to pesticides at work predicted premature delivery in multivariate models. Maternal occupational exposures may exert their influence through maternal health and/or pregnancy complications and may act as mediators rather than moderators of health-birth outcome relationships.