Lifestyle-Related Factors Associated with Reproductive Health in Couples Seeking Fertility Treatments: Results of A Pilot Study

Objective The success of assisted reproductive technology (ART) may be influenced by male and female lifestyle-related factors. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a larger prospective cohort study, which will aim at determining the independent contribution of male and female lifestyle-related factors to ART success. The study was also designed to examine whether couples seeking fertility treatments present lifestyle-related factors that may interfere with their reproductive health. MaterialsAndMethods This prospective pilot study was conducted in a fertility clinic between May 2015 and February 2016. Feasibility factors evaluated were recruitment rates, compliance with the protocol, retention rate and ART outcomes at six-month follow-up. Anthropometric profile and lifestyle habits were evaluated in both partners before the beginning of fertility treatment. Results We approached 130 eligible infertile couples. Among them, 32 (25%) agreed to participate and 28 (88%) complied with the protocol. At six months follow-up, seven couples (25%) did not start, or stop, fertility treatments and 13 couples (62%) achieved a clinical pregnancy. Among the 28 couples included in the analyses, 16% of the partners were obese and 23% had abdominal obesity. The majority were still drinking alcohol (84%). Sixty-eight percent of women needed improvement in their diet (vs 95% of men, p=0.05) and none of them achieved the Canadian recommendations for physical activity (vs 33% of men, p=0.001). A poor sleep quality was present in 35% of the partners. Overall, women presented a worse reproductive health profile than men, with 3.1 and 2.4 out of seven adverse factors, respectively (p=0.04). Conclusion Conducting a large prospective cohort study in our fertility clinic will be feasible but recruitment and compliance with the protocol will need to be improved. Many women and men seeking fertility treatments present unfavourable lifestyle-related factors that may explain, at least partially, their difficulty to conceive.