8263929 Is maternal exposure to occupational emotional demands and physical violence in pregnancy associated to the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome? findings from the register-based DOC*X-generation cohort

<h3>Objective</h3> We aimed to investigate if exposure to emotional demands or physical violence at work during pregnancy increase the risk of miscarriages, small for gestational age (SGA), and preterm birth (PTB). <h3>Material and Methods</h3> The population, DOC*X-Generation, consisted of employed pregnant women (1977-2018). We assessed the exposure to occupational emotional demands and physical violence based on job exposure matrices. Both exposures were grouped into tertiles and linked to each woman via their job code during pregnancy (Danish version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations 88). Information on miscarriages, SGA and PTB (singletons) was retrieved from the Danish National Patient Register and the Danish Medical Birth Register, respectively. Data including confounders were analysed with logistic regression models resulting in adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). <h3>Results</h3> We analysed 1,921,890 million pregnancies resulting in 13% miscarriages and 1,482,493 pregnancies with 5% preterm births in approximately one million unique women. Women occupied in jobs with high emotional demands and high physical violence had higher odds of miscarriage compared to those occupied in jobs with low exposure; OR=1.20 (95% CI 1.18-1.21) and OR=1.24, (95% CI 1.23-1.26), respectively. The findings concerning emotional demands and physical violence in relation to SGA and PTB were all OR&lt;1 (ORs 0.91-0.99). <h3>Conclusion</h3> This study suggests that exposure to occupational emotional demands and physical violence during pregnancy is associated with higher odds of miscarriage, but not SGA and PTB. The results indicate that employers should recognise and consider psychosocial working conditions that pregnant women experience. This study is one of the first to investigate these aspects of the psychosocial working conditions more studies are needed. <h3>Funding</h3> Working Environment Research Fund (Project no. 20-2018-09).