Exposure to benzene, occupational stress, and reduced birth weight
Dafang Chena b, Sung-Il Choa, Changzhong Chena, Xiaobin Wanga c, Andrew I Damokosha, Louise Ryand, Thomas J Smitha, David C Christiania e, Xiping Xua f
a Department of
Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington
Avenue, FXB-101 Boston, MA 02115-6096, USA, b Center
for Ecogenetics, Beijing Medical University, Beijing, China, c Department of Pediatrics, Boston University
School of Medicine, and Boston Medical Center, Boston, USA, d Department
of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health and Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, e Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical
School, Boston, USA, f Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's
Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
Correspondence to: Dr Xiping Xu xu{at}hsph.harvard.edu
Accepted 25 May 2000
OBJECTIVES
The
association between birth weight and exposure to benzene, work stress,
and other occupational and environmental hazards was investigated.
METHODSIn a
large petrochemical industry, 792 pregnant workers were enrolled and
followed up through delivery between May 1996 and December 1998. Exposure to benzene and other solvents was assessed by an industrial
hygienist based on each woman's job title and workplace information.
Other occupational and environmental exposures and personal
information, including perceived work stress, exposure to noise,
physical exertion at work, and passive smoking, were obtained by an
interview questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate regression models
were used to examine the individual and combined associations of
occupational and environmental exposures with birth weight, with
adjustment for major confounders including gestational age.
RESULTSIn
the univariate model, birth weight was negatively associated with
exposure to benzene (
58 g (95% confidence interval (95% CI),
115 to 2)) and with work stress (84 g (95% CI, 158 to 10)). In the multivariate model, there was a significant interaction between exposure to benzene and work stress relative to reduced birth
weight, after adjustment for other environmental and occupational exposures and personal variables. Adjusted mean birth weight was 3445 g
(95% CI 3401 to 3489) among those with neither exposure, 3430 g for
those with exposure to benzene only, 3426 g for those with work stress
only, and 3262 g (95% CI 3156 to 3369) for those with both exposures.
In other words, there was 183 g (95% CI 65 to 301) reduction in birth
weight among those with both exposure to benzene and work stress
compared with those with neither exposure. Other work or environmental
factors could not explain these findings.
CONCLUSIONSLow level
exposure to benzene and work stress interact to reduce birth weight in
this population.
Keywords: birth weight; benzene; work stress
© 2000 by Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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