Examining the Relationship Between Female Employment and Prenatal, Neonatal and Postneonatal Mortality Rates: An Interregional Analysis in Turkey

Background This study aimed to examine the relationship between female employment rates and perinatal, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality rates in different regions of Turkey. The role of women’s workforce participationin terms of economic effects, access to healthcare services, and maternal and infant health has been evaluated. Methods Regional data published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) and the Ministry of Health were used. Female employment rates were obtained from NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) Level 2 data and converted to NUTS Level 1 for comparison. Perinatal, neonatal, and post-neonatal mortality rates were analyzed within the scope of NUTS Level 1. SPSS 26 software was used for statistical analysis, and the relationships between the variables were evaluated using Pearson's correlation test. Regions were divided into three categories based on female employment levels and compared using One-Way ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests. Results Female employment rates were significantly negatively correlated with perinatal and neonatal mortality rates (p < 0.05). No significant relationship was found between post-neonatal mortality and female employment. A strong positive relationship was observed between female employment and access to health services (r = 0.81; p = 0.005). No significant relationship was found between the educational level, female employment, and mortality rates. Conclusions Female employment is particularly effective in reducing perinatal and neonatal mortality, exerting indirect positive effects on maternal and infant health by improving access to healthcare services. These findings underscore the importance of developing social and health policies that support female employment, which may contribute to reducing regional health disparities and enhancing maternal and child health outcomes.