Ergonomic Stressors Among Pregnant Healthcare Workers Impact on pregnancy outcomes and recommended safety practices

Frincy Francis*, Sheeba Elizabeth John Sunderraj, DIVYA K Y, Divya Raghavan, Atiya Al-Furgani, Lily P Bera, Aniamma Abraham

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Workplace environment can have a considerable impact on the physical, psychological and maternal health of pregnant healthcare workers. This article aimed to summarise the impact of work-related ergonomic stressors on pregnancy outcomes for healthcare workers, along with potential interventions to resolve these stressors. A narrative review analysis using the Pearl Growing Strategy was conducted between February 2019 and June 2020 to identify English-language articles published between 2000 and 2020. A total of 89 studies were identified from the SCOPUS (Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands), MEDLINE® (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA) databases and Google Scholar (Google LLC, Menlo Park, California, USA). The results indicated that poor work-related ergonomics had detrimental effects on pregnancy outcomes, resulting in spontaneous abortions, preterm delivery, low birth weight babies and infertility. Policymakers and employers should conduct ergonomic assessments and implement appropriate practices to ensure the safety of pregnant healthcare workers.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e172-e181
Number of pages181
JournalSultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
Volume21
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 21 2021

Keywords

  • Healthcare Workers
  • Physical Ergonomics
  • Pregnancy Outcomes
  • Occupational Health
  • Occupational exposure

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Health Professions

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