Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: General and reproductive health outcomes amo ng female greenhouse workers: A 
comparative  study  
 
Version: 0 Date: 05 Mar 2020  
 
Reviewer: Hamdia Mirkhan Ahmed  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
This paper studied the health's' effects of working in greenhouse on women who working there 
by comparing to the housewife's women which is interesting. Following comments may improve 
the paper.  
 
In gene ral paper need consistency in writing terms and phrases such as exposed group and 
worker group, greenhouse worker and farm -worker, abnormal births and birth abnormalities,  
fetal death and stillbirth and so on. Unify them through the text.  
 
Title  
 
As in t his study a few health parameters are measured and focus was on obstetrical or 
reproductive outcomes of working in greenhouses in addition using control group. it is suggested 
to change the title as following:  
General and reproductive health outcomes amon g female greenhouse workers: A comparative 
study  
 
Abstract  
 
Background: line 17, change "is assay" to "was to assess".  
Methods: line 21, add "as exposed group" after workers. Correct the dictation of "questioner" to 
"questionnaire".  
Results: line 28 -29, order the variables as shown in table 2. line 30, change "worker" to 
"exposed". line 31, change "comparison group" to "control group". line 32 -33, "Vital signs 
........was assessed" need rephrasing as vital signs is different with BMI and talk about them 
separately.  
 
Background  
 
Line 50-53, it is not your concern in this study to talk about men or compare to men. Focus more 
on women and their reproductive status. line 67 -69, as setting of the study is greenhouse so write 
about it inclu ding its definitions and characteristics. Line 73, what mean by "lower wages"? 
Compare  to whom and what type of working? Please clarify?  
As the researchers select some health statues variables for study so it is necessary the 
introduction focus on studied  variables and the rational for choosing them.   
The researchers mentioned just aim of the study but not objectives. Objectives has to be more 
specific and concise.  
 
Methods  
 
Line 83, as an inclusion cretira for both group is married women so either no me ntion it here or 
mention for both groups.  
What about exclusion criteria for both groups as obstetrical and gynecological problems affect 
the reproductive outcomes? How the researchers explain the related bies and how they control 
them?  
 
I recommend to sep arate the questionnaire part of health status from others under title of 
obstetrical history or information and then occupational information seperatly.  
line 109 -110, it is not clear. Line 111, there is mentioned that data were collected by interview 
and in the abstract it was mentioned that 'participants were asked to...... line 21". Please clarify 
and unify them. line 120, mention which laboratory and where?  
line 129, explain when the testes used especially Fisher exact test (in which condition).  
 
Resu lts 
 
Line 153 - 155, regarding personal protective equipment, pesticide sprays times, their is no 
implying to that in methods section (questionnaire).  Line 160 please mention which kind of 
abnormality did the researcher found in their cases?  
abbreviation i n tables has to be clarify at footnote of respective tables.  
It is interesting that why the researchers did not studied the reproductive outcomes according the 
characteristics of working in greenhouse like hours and sprays times and so on among study 
expo sed group? If is it possible add theses data in a table.  
 
Discussion  
 
Generally discussion need to re -writing as there is many unrelated subjects which were not the 
concern of this study.  
 
Line 212, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, average hours working is 6 hours, so what 
here the researchers mentioned it as significant part of their time? why it is significant?  
Line 213 - 215, are not related to your studied variables as it talks ab out stress.  
Line 218 -221, are not clear that why researchers talk about that and what is the purpose?  
Line 223, again not make sense to compare the results with among men as it is not concern of the 
present study.  
Line 227 - 228, 230,, again these variabl es are not studied so not necessary to discuss here.  
Line 254 -256, are two sentences which is opposite of each other? what is the purpose of 
researchers? Clarify it.  
Line 256 -253, not related discussion.  
Line 288, at least mention the name of pesticides w hich used in the greenhouses.    
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and wel l described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequa tely supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommende d, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being  published  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this  manuscript, either now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied f or patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have  no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the a uthors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or publication, my na med report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal