REVIEW PAPER
A narrative review on factors associated with job interruption during pregnancy
More details
Hide details
1
University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland (Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems)
2
University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland (Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Health, Work and Environment)
3
University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Lausanne, Switzerland (School of Health Sciences (HESAV))
4
University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland (Lausanne University Hospital)
Online publication date: 2023-08-22
Corresponding author
Karine Moschetti
University of Lausanne (UNIL), Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Epidemiology and
Health Systems, Biopôle 2, Route de la Corniche 10, 1010 Lausanne, Switzerland
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(3):303-23
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Most women continue to work during pregnancy. However, some of them have to stop working before giving birth. Absence from work poses
several challenges for employers and employees, as well as for society. The literature on absence from work during pregnancy and its determinants
remains inconsistent and rather scarce. To conduct a narrative literature review on the factors associated with work interruption and on existing
interventions aimed at reducing the absence prevalence during pregnancy. The review refers to published peer-reviewed articles dealing with all
types of work interruption among pregnant women. Keyword searches were performed in the electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Google
Scholar, covering the period 2000–2022. The review, which includes 42 papers, presents a broad and comprehensive picture of factors and interventions
associated with absence from work among pregnant workers. The factors appear at different levels and include factors related to the pregnant
women, such as individual health and socio-demographic factors; employer and workplace-related factors, such as risk exposures and working
conditions; factors related to the role of the healthcare provider; and factors related to the national context (social benefits/insurance). The determinants
of absence from work during pregnancy are complex and multifactorial and involve multiple stakeholders. The discussion addresses gaps and
needs in the literature on pregnancy at work and in the field of occupational health. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(3):303–23