Note on the war-time health of women in industry and at home: A comparative survey

Abstract

1. Clinical examination of 374 industrial women workers and 289 housewives of comparable type was made in Oxfordshire in August 1942 and repeated four times subsequently on the same groups up to March 1944.2. It was concluded that the diet of these women was adequate to prevent obvious signs of vitamin deficiency but that there was a general tendency for the general nutritional state, assessed clinically, to deteriorate during the 19 months of this study. This deterioration was associated with complaint of fatigue.3. The women workers residing in areas where the water was low in iodine content tended to show enlargement of the thyroid gland. The enlargement increased in those already affected, and the incidence also increased.The author is much indebted to Dr J. O. Irwin for his assistance in statistical presentation of the data and to Dr Harriette Chick for helpful criticism.