Menstrual disorders and their adverse symptoms at work: An emerging occupational health issue in the nursing profession

Abstract

Menstrual disorders and their adverse symptoms represent an important health issue for many women of child-bearing age. Aside from a deleterious effect on the individual's private life, menstrual disorders are being increasingly recognized as having significant implications at work. This is particularly relevant in occupations such as nursing, where the majority of staff is female. Various investigations have identified the prevalence, distribution, and risk factors associated with menstrual disorders, both in the general community and within the nursing profession. Overall, it is clear that menstrual disorders and their adverse symptoms represent an important occupational health challenge for modern nursing. Future interventions specifically aimed at reducing the work-related burden of these issues should be urgently considered. A more dedicated commitment from higher management regarding the overall health of nurses at work is also required.

Menstrual Disorders and their Influence on Low Back Pain among Japanese Nurses

“…Various occupational health issues have emerged to challenge health care workers in the new millinneum 77) , of which menstrual disorders now represent an increasingly important consideration for nursing 1) . Our current study suggests that reproductive symptoms and menstrual disorders may be having a significant impact on nurses' working lives.…”

“…This is somewhat of an oversight, considering that menstrual disorders have been recognised as an increasingly important occupational health issue in the nursing profession 1) , and that back issues are well known to affect Japanese nurses 6,8) . The purpose of our current study therefore, was to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of menstrual symptoms among Japanese nurses, the rate, distribution and longevity of any LBP they may have suffered; as well as any potential correlations between the two.…”

Hospital Safety Climate, Psychosocial Risk Factors and Needlestick Injuries in Japan

“…Although the complicity of psychosocial risk factors is now well-known in occupational health, it appears that this issue had been studied among Asian nurses until 2004 57) . Given that the vast majority of nurses in the current study were female, it is also important to recognise the unique issues faced by women workers 58) . The Japanese nursing workforce remains predominately female, and the unique health 23) needs of this demographic should be considered.…”

Si le bruit rend sourd, rend-il nécessairement sourde ?

“…Pour mieux comprendre les relations entre les maux de dos et diverses expositions en milieu de travail, il est important de distinguer les maux de dos associés aux menstruations par rapport aux autres douleurs (Tissot et Messing, 1995 ;Borges, 2003). Si certaines professions comme les infirmières et les agentes de bord rapportent beaucoup de dysménorrhée (Smith, 2008), peu d'informations sur ces douleurs sont recherchées en relation avec leurs conditions de travail. Enfin, même si les effets de plusieurs expositions professionnelles sur les foetus ont reçu beaucoup d'attention, les facteurs touchant la santé des femmes enceintes elles-mêmes (maux de dos, hypertension) ont été très peu étudiés.…”