Fertil Steril. 2011 Nov;96(5):1149-53.
Dietary patterns and difficulty conceiving: a nested case-control study.
Toledo E, Lopez-del Burgo C, Ruiz-Zambrana A, Donazar M, Navarro-Blasco I, Martínez-González MA, de Irala J.
Source
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. etoledo@unav.es
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate potential associations between dietary patterns (defined using factor analysis) and difficulty conceiving.
DESIGN:
Case-control study nested in a Spanish cohort of university graduates (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra [SUN] Project).
SETTING:
Female university graduates all over Spain participating in the SUN Project.
PATIENT(S):
A total of 485 women, aged 20-45 years, reporting having presented with difficulty getting pregnant, and 1,669 age-matched controls who had at least one child.
INTERVENTION(S):
None.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):
Reported difficulty getting pregnant. Data were collected from baseline and follow-up questionnaires of the SUN Project.
RESULT(S):
Two dietary patterns were identified. They were labeled as "Mediterranean-type" and "Western-type" patterns. A lower risk of difficulty getting pregnant was apparent in the highest quartile of adherence to the Mediterranean-type pattern compared with the lowest quartile (odds ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.35-0.95). Greater adherence to the Western-type dietary pattern showed no association with this outcome.
CONCLUSION(S):
A greater adherence to the Mediterranean-type dietary pattern may enhance fertility. Further evidence about the relationship between this dietary pattern and fertility is needed to develop nutritional interventions for women desiring to get pregnant.
Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PMID: 21943725 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]