RESUMEN
This study is aimed at the investigation of the relationship between abortion and stillbirth and exposure to VDTs in Egypt. A cross sectional study [ex-post-facto] design was used. The study population consisted of married female workers exposed for at least 12 hours weekly to VDTs in the last two years in four governorates; Ismailia, Cairo, Suez and Port-Saeid. The study was conducted in 1991-1992. The control group consisted of female clerical workers from the same work-sites. A sample size of 148 individuals per group was estimated to be enough to detect a prevalence OR of 2.3, with a 95% level of confidence and 80% power. The choice of the control group from the workers population was to avoid the healthy worker effect. Exposure was ascertained from the registers to avoid misclassification. A questionnaire was used for the collection of personal, occupational and obstetric data. It was tested before use. Quality control was done during data collection. Analysis of the results has shown a statistically significant association between the intensity and duration of exposure and abortion. Regression analysis has excluded age and parity as confounders. Analysis of job factors is discussed. The results of this study add to the evidence of the association between exposure to VDTs and spontaneous abortion