Difference in risk of preterm and small-for-gestational-age birth depending on maternal occupations in Japan

Abstract

Objectives In this study, an association between the mother’s occupations with preterm and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births was investigated using national data in Japan, and individual-level birth data from the Report of Vital Statistics: Occupational and Industrial Aspects in the 2015 fiscal year were used. Preterm and SGA birth rates were calculated for each of infant characteristics, and relative risk of each type of maternal occupations (categorized into 12 types) for the outcomes was estimated using a log binomial regression model. Results Data of 997,600 singleton births were analyzed. Among maternal occupations, preterm birth rate was highest among carrying, cleaning, packaging, and related workers (5.65%) and lowest among security workers (4.24%). SGA birth rate was highest among manufacturing process workers (5.91%) and lowest among security workers (4.00%). We found significantly elevated risks for preterm birth among manufacturing process workers compared with unemployed mothers, and significantly elevated risks for SGA birth compared with unemployed mothers were observed among sales workers, service workers, and manufacturing process workers. In contrast, security workers had a significantly decreased risk for SGA birth compared with unemployed mothers.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rates of adverse birth outcomes and fetal mortality in Japan: an analysis of national data from 2010 to 2022

“…In the analysis, the time point variable, birth month (January, …, December), household occupation, wedlock status, past experience of live births, past experience of stillbirths, maternal nationality, and maternal age group were adjusted in the analysis of the two fetal mortality outcomes, and sex was also adjusted in the analysis of the three live birth outcomes. These explanatory variables (sex, household occupation, wedlock status, past experience of live births, past experience of stillbirths, maternal nationality, and maternal age group) were chosen because they have been shown to be linked to adverse birth outcomes in Japan [ 36 , 37 ]. Furthermore, birth month was included because adverse birth outcomes exhibit seasonality.…”