Reproductive Health-Related Experiences and Work Environment Among Saleswomen in Korean Duty-Free Shops: Focusing on Menstruation, Pregnancy, and Childcare

Abstract

This study sought to demonstrate the reproductive health-related experiences and the work environment of female sales workers in duty-free shops. We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional survey in 2018 among saleswomen in duty-free shops (N=568).

The study found that 40.5% of sales workers reported being unable to change sanitary pads at work during the past six months. Among participants who had been pregnant while employed in duty-free shops, 9.3% had experienced a miscarriage. Among workers with at least one child, 50.5% reported not being able to take their children to the hospital when needed in the past year. Moreover, we sought to investigate workplace environments that may be considered relevant to the reproductive health-related experiences. It was found that 65.0% of the workers experienced limited access to restrooms within the past week, and 60.0% of the workers experienced prolonged standing regardless of the availability of chairs. Regarding work schedule control, within the last six months, 41.2% of workers reported that their personal days off were rescheduled to working days, and 31.3% reported having to work unexpectedly on their scheduled days off.

This study found that saleswomen in Korean duty-free shops have experiences and workplace environments that are unfavorable to their reproductive health. Further research is necessary to examine the association between the work environment and the reproductive health of female sales workers in duty-free shops.