| dc.description.abstract | Background: Infertility affects up to 15% of couples of reproductive age worldwide and its
trends remained constant between 1990 and 2010. One in four couples in Uganda seeks
counselling on failure to conceive. Various lifestyle and dietary modifications have been found
to be cheap and easier ways of reversing infertility among women of reproductive age.
Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between nutrition, health
status, and lifestyle factors and infertility among women of reproductive age in Uganda in order
to improve reproductive health counselling to women who are failing to conceive.
Methods: The study design was a case-control. It included fertile and infertile women of
reproductive age (15-49 years) around Kampala. Convenience sampling was used to identify
respondents until the required sample was achieved. Structured questionnaires were administered
to the respondents. For data analysis, a chi-square test was used and variables significantly
related to the outcome variable were treated as covariates. Multivariate logistic regression
analyses of unadjusted data to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of each
indicator on infertility was done.
Results: The age of the woman (p=0.035), the work they do (p=0.003), consumption of either
alcohol (p=0.037), margarines (p=0.027), fruits (p=0.027) or vegetables (p=0.011) and the
presence of fibroids (p=0.011) were the predictors of infertility among women of reproductive
age in Uganda. The consumption of margarines (p=0.013, OR= 1.487) and the presence of
fibroids (p=0.033, OR= 27.425) were the biggest predictors of infertility among WRA in Uganda
after adjusting for all other factors.
Conclusion: Advising on consumption of plenty of fruits and vegetables and the reduction in the
use of alcohol and margarines should be part of pre-conception counselling among Women of
reproductive age in Uganda. Women should plan on conceiving earlier in their youthful years <
35 and they should also do regular screening for fibroids and other diseases that could affect their fertility. | en_US |
