Health and other characteristics of employed women and homemakers in Tecumseh, 1959-1978. I. Demographic characteristics, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and pregnancy outcomes and conditions.

Using data collected in 1959-60 and 1978-79 in the Tecumseh Community Health Study, characteristics of 866 women aged 20-44 years at baseline were analyzed according to employment status at baseline and follow-up (employed/employed, homemaker/employed, employed/homemaker and homemaker/homemaker). To avoid the bias of including unhealthy women with homemakers, disabled and retired women were excluded. Women employed at both exams more frequently reported current alcohol consumption than other women, and the association persisted after controlling for covariables. Smoking habits, rates of reported pregnancy outcomes and conditions, and rates of gynecological problems did not differ significantly among employment groups.