Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has implied worldwide the imposition of confinement measures and mobility restrictions, to a greater or lesser extent. It has also meant the closure of some public medical services such as reproductive care. This situation may have impacted the health-related behaviour and quality of life of women with fertility problems. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyse the effects of confinement and the suspension of reproductive medical care on the lifestyle (diet, physical exercise, and smoking habits), anxiety and depression, and quality of life of infertile women by comparing their pre- and post-confinement situations. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional, internet-based study. Information was collected on these women’s adherence to theMediterranean diet (MEDAS questionnaire), physical exercise (IPAQ-SF), anxiety and depression (HADS), and quality of life related to fertility (FertiQol) before, during, and after confinement. The survey was conducted between 1 September and 28 October 2020. Results: A total of 85 women participated. There had been a significant increase in anxiety and depression levels (P < 0.001) and an increase in tobacco consumption among female smokers during confinement vs. pre-confinement (62.5% had increased their consumption). The participants had also increased the mean number of hours they spent sitting (P < 0.001). There had also been an increase in vigorous and moderate exercise levels by 40 and 30%, respectively (P = 0.004). However, no differences were observed in these patients’ eating habits as a result of confinement (P = 0.416). When the reproduction service was resumed, the participants showed higher anxiety level scores (P = 0.001) with respect to the pre-confinement situation as well as lower mean FertiQol scale score (P = 0.008). Conclusions: Confinement had increased anxiety and depression levels among these infertile women as well as tobacco use among the participants who were smokers. The prolonged closure of reproductive care units decreased the quality of life of the participants of this study. These results suggest the need to implement online programs to improve healthy habits and quality of life of this population group.

Background: Infertility is estimated to affect 15% of couples of reproductive age. Weight management problems (being obese or overweight) are among the problems that produce infertility, both in women seeking spontaneous pregnancy and in those undergoing assisted reproduction techniques. Over the last few decades, the prevalence of obesity has increased alarmingly in our society and is now considered one of the most important public health problems. The combination of diet and exercise to achieve weight loss are currently considered an e ective intervention for the improvement of reproductive parameters in overweight or obese infertile women. In other population groups, it has been shown that Internet-based interventions are just as e ective as traditional ones, and these cover a larger population with a good cost–benefit ratio. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies so far have analysed any specific online interventions for this group of infertile women. Thus, the objective of this project will be to evaluate the e ectiveness of an online program to promote a healthy lifestyle among women who are overweight or obese who also have a diagnosis of infertility and are on the waiting list for in vitro fertilisation treatment. Methods: This will be a randomised controlled clinical trial conducted in 94 women which will compare a self-administered Internet-based intervention promoting a healthy lifestyle in terms of diet and exercise (n = 47) to a control group that will receive standard medical care. The online program will comprise nine modules, will last for 3 months, and will be monitored every 3 months after the intervention until the final follow-up at 12 months. The main outcome will be the spontaneous pregnancy rate. Secondary outcomes will include changes in body composition, dietary and physical exercise habits, glycaemic profiles, lipid profiles, hormonal profiles, and patient quality of life related to their fertility problems. The data analysis will be done on an intention-to-treat basis. Discussion: The aim of this study is to increase our knowledge of the e ectiveness of online interventions specifically adapted to infertile women who are overweight or obese in the promotion of healthy lifestyles.