Women's Psychological Stress and Obstetric Disorders

Occupational exposures can cause problems such as reproductive system disorders; however, the effects of some exposures, such as psychological stress, have not been investigated yet. This study aims to investigate the effects of women’s psychological stress on obstetric disorders. This historical cohort study was conducted on 1400 working women in Mashhad, Iran. Data collection was conducted through completing a check list and a questionnaire on psychological stress and obstetric disorders as well as subsequent interviews with participants on health issues. After completing the questionnaire, the participants were divided into four groups according to their level of psychological stress. Frequencies of reproductive disorders were compared among the four groups. To analyze the data, t-test, ANOVA, Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were carried out using SPSS. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. The results showed that group four with the most severe psychological stress and the lowest age had the highest risk of reproductive disorders including spontaneous abortion and placental abruption. In this study, severe stress had a significant relationship with the risk of some obstetric complications. It is therefore recommended to use stress management techniques in order to reduce psychological stress, which in turn could prevent its adverse effects.