Adverse Health Effects of Climate Change on Pregnant Women Working Outdoors

Abstract

Climate change is the biggest public health threat that imposes increased adverse health effect on pregnant women such as pregnancy loss, restricted fetal growth, low birth _weight, preterm, eclampsia and placenta previa . The Aim of this study was to assess the Adverse Health Effects of climate change on Pregnant women working outdoors. Design: A descriptive research design was utilized in this study. Setting: The study was conducted at out-patient and inpatient departments in a university hospital in Fayoum governorate, Egypt. Sample: A purposive sample of all pregnant women working outdoors during the period of study. Tools: Two tools for data collection were used, 1) A structured interviewing questionnaire for assessing demographic characteristics of pregnant women, obstetric history, assessing pregnant women’s knowledge regarding climate change, pregnant women’s reported practice regarding heat stress. Adverse health effects of climate change (as heat stress) on pregnant women .2). Observation checklist for heat stress risk assessment. Results: The current study revealed that 80% of pregnant women were exposed to sun burn and 90% of them were exposed to sun stroke in the last twelve months. Also, 60% of studied sample had poor knowledge regarding climate changes as heat stress and effect of heat stress, 60% of pregnant women had unsatisfactory reported practice regarding climate change as heat stress, On the other hand, 60% of pregnant women were exposed to personal parameters that cause heat stress and 40% of them were exposed to environmental parameters that lead to adverse health effects on pregnant women,80.0% of pregnant women in the study sample complained from severe lower abdominal pain,25.0% of them complained from post-traumatic stress disorders, 22.0% of them complained from anemia and 20.0% of them complained from vaginal bleeding .Conclusion: there was a correlation between pregnant women’s knowledge, total reported practices and total score of observational checklist for heat stress risk exposure with highly statistical significance difference ( p<0.001). Recommendations: Implementation of health education programs about hazards of climate change and impact on pregnant women’s health and pregnancy outcomes.