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06:39
Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Paternal work stress and prolonged time to pregnancy
Mi-Sun Lee1, Domyung Paek, Ki-Do Eum
1Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Summary
Workplace stress in married men is linked to longer time to pregnancy for their wives. Increased effort-reward imbalance in fathers was associated with fewer first-cycle conceptions.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Reproductive Health
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Background:
- Psychosocial stress is a significant factor influencing health outcomes.
- Workplace stress, particularly effort-reward imbalance, has been linked to various health issues.
- Understanding the impact of paternal stress on reproductive health is crucial for couples' well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between psychosocial stress experienced by married men at work and their spouses' prolonged time to pregnancy (TTP).
- To quantify the relationship between work-related stress in men and fertility outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A study included 322 married couples from a Korean petrochemical enterprise.
- Psychosocial stress at work was assessed using the effort-reward imbalance questionnaire.
- Time to pregnancy (TTP) was measured using a dedicated questionnaire, with selection criteria including no contraceptive use and recent pregnancy history.
Main Results:
- A one standard deviation increase in the effort-reward ratio among chronically stressed married men was associated with delayed TTP (OR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.22-0.99).
- This association remained significant after adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and benzene exposure factors.
- A similar, though weaker, association was observed in the overall study group (OR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.47-0.94).
Conclusions:
- Paternal occupational stress, specifically effort-reward imbalance, appears to be associated with a reduced likelihood of conception within the first menstrual cycle.
- These findings highlight the potential impact of paternal work stress on couple's fertility.
- Further research may explore interventions to mitigate work-related stress in men to support reproductive health.
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