THE EFFECT OF WORK ACTIVITY IN PREGNANCY ON THE RISK OF SEVERE PREECLAMPSIA

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of type of employment and level of physical activity at work on the risk of severe preeclam psia. For this purpose, we carried out a case control study of 160 nul liparous pregnant women with severe preeclampsia and 320 normotensive nulliparous controls who received prenatal care from members of one me dical staff. The type of employment and the level of physical activity sustained at work were ascertained at birth through an interview base d on a standard questionnaire. The degree of physical activity at work was assessed by a 4-level activity score based on type of work, physi cal intensity, posture at work, and weekly working hours. In logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for potential confounders (mater nal age, time of stopping work, prepregnancy body mass index, social s tatus of the partner, history of previous abortion, and prepregnancy s moking status), clerical workers had a significantly lower risk of sev ere preeclampsia than women who were unemployed at the beginning of pr egnancy (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.30, 0.96). In multivariate analysis, there was a significant linear trend relating the degree of physical activit y at work, to the risk of preeclampsia (likelihood chi-square = 9.38, 3 df, p = 0.002). We then restricted the analysis to women who had eve r worked in pregnancy (n = 339) also adjusting for confounders, and fo und that clerical workers were still at significantly lower risk of se vere preeclampsia than women not formally employed (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.0 8, 0.49). In addition, moderate/high physical activity at work was ass ociated with a 2-fold increase in the risk of severe preeclampsia comp ared to mild activity (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.11, 3.88). We conclude that m oderate to high physical activity at work seems to increase the risk o f severe preeclampsia.