Prevalence of urinary tract infections and associated factors among pregnant workers in the electronics industry

Pregnancy is a risk factor for urinary tract infection (UTI), and it has been shown that frequent urine voiding was a protecting factor against UTI for nonpregnant female cleanroom workers. We conducted a study to evaluate whether these findings also apply to pregnant women. We recruited female workers in an industrial park who received an annual health examination between August 1 and September 31, 2003. From each participant, we collected a urine sample and obtained information through a questionnaire. A total of 2,062 workers, including 118 pregnant and 1,944 nonpregnant women, participated in the study. Pregnancy was a significant risk factor for both symptomatic (odds ratio [OR] = 6.33) and asymptomatic (OR = 2.13) UTIs. Urine voiding three or more times during a shift was a significant protective factor for asymptomatic UTI (OR = 0.40). UTI is common among pregnant cleanroom workers, and frequent voiding appears to be a protecting factor.