The effects of increased body mass index on preconception health

A scoping literature review

Authors

  • Petra Petročnik University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Midwifery, Zdravstvena pot 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6084-4756
  • Mirko Prosen University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9943-9037
  • Ana Polona Mivšek University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Midwifery, Zdravstvena pot 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7816-1451

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14528/snr.2023.57.3.3092

Keywords:

increased body weight, family planning, fertility, health promotion, preconception period

Abstract

Introduction: The growing proportion of overweight and obese people worldwide is of great concern as it affects the overall health of people and consequently also their  reproductive health. The aim of this literature review is to  examine how increased body mass index affects fertility and preconception health in men and women.
Methods: A scoping literature review was conducted in February 2021 using PubMed and Medline databases, as well as the Google Scholar search engine. Inclusion criteria consisted of scientific literature, regardless of methodology, and articles published in Slovene and English.
Results: The literature search yielded 9 reviews and 5 original quantitative studies published in English in the last 15 years. The results suggest that there is compelling evidence that obese individuals are at increased risk of various health problems in the pre-conception period that  may affect their fertility and ability to conceive.
Discussion and conclusion: The rising prevalence of high body mass index is changing the reproductive health of men and women. Growing obesity rates, particularly in the Western world, call for greater awareness of this metabolic syndrome and its impact on female and male reproduction. Health professionals working with couples in the pre-conception period should have sufficient knowledge to address the impact of high body mass index on reproductive health and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Anifandis, G., Dafopoulos, K., Messini, C. I., Polyzos, N., & Messinis, I. E. (2013). The BMI of men and not sperm parameters impact on embryo quality and the IVF outcome. Andrology, 1(1), 85–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2047-2927.2012.00012.x PMid:23258634

Barker, M., Dombrowski, S. U., Colbourn, T., Fall, C., Kriznik, N. M., Lawrence, W. T., Norris, S. A. … Stephenson, J. (2018). Intervention strategies to improve nutrition and health behaviours before conception. Lancet, 391(10132), 1853–1864. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30313-1 PMid:29673875

Bizjak, M., Peršolja, M., & Zadnik Stirn, L. (2016). Mnenje strokovnjakov o uporabi celostnega prehranskega protokola v praksi pri preprečevanju debelosti. Obzornik Zdravstvene Nege, 50(3), 224–231. https://doi.org/10.14528/snr.2016.50.3.97

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2022). Adult obesity facts. Retrieved September 13, 2022 from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html Critical Appraisal Skills Programme [CASP]. (2020). CASP checklist. Retrieved October 20, 2022 from https://casp-uk.net/casp-tools-checklists/

Çekici, H. (2018). Current nutritional factors affecting fertility and infertility. Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Research, 6(1), 225. https://doi.org/10.21767/2386-5180.1000225

Chambers, T. J. G., & Anderson, R. A. (2015). The impact of obesity on male fertility. Hormones, 14(4) 563–568. https://doi.org/10.14310/horm.2002.1621 PMid:26732149

Creanga, A. A., Catalano, P. M., & Bateman, B. T. (2022). Obesity in Pregnancy. The New England Journal of Medicine, 387(3), 248–259. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1801040 PMid:35857661

Dachew, B.A., Ayano, G., Betts, K., & Alati, R. (2021). The impact of pre-pregnancy BMI on maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum period: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 281, 321–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.010 PMid:33341015

Du Plessis, S. S., Cabler, S., McAlister, D. A., Sabanegh, E., & Agarwal, A. (2010). The effect of obesity on sperm disorders and male infertility. Nature reviews. Urology, 7(3), 153–161. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2010.6 PMid:20157305

Fleming, T. P., Watkins, A. J., Velazquez, M. A., Mathers, J. C., Prentice, A. M., Stephenson, J. … Godfrey, K. M. (2018). Origins of lifetime health around the time of conception: Causes and consequences. Lancet, 391(10132), 1842–1852. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30312-X PMid:29673874

Hajshafiha, M., Ghareaghaji, R., Salemi, S., Sadegh-Asadi, N., & Sadeghi-Bazargani, H. (2013). Association of body mass index with some fertility markers among male partners of infertile couples. International Journal of General Medicine, 6, 447–451. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S41341 PMid:23785240; PMCid:PMC3682849

Imterat, M., Agarwal, A., Esteves, S. C., Meyer, J., & Harlev, A. (2019). Impact of body mass index on female fertility and ART outcomes. Panminerva Medica, 61(1), 58–67. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0031-0808.18.03490-0 PMid:29962181

Kort, H. I., Massey, J. B., Elsner, C. W., Mitchell-Leef, D., Shapiro, D. B., Witt, M. A., & Roudebush, W. E. (2006). Impact of body mass index values on sperm quantity and quality. Journal of Andrology, 27(3), 450–452. https://doi.org/10.2164/jandrol.05124 PMid:16339454

Lash, M. M., & Armstrong, A. (2009). Impact of obesity on women's health. Fertility and Sterility, 91(5), 1712–1716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.02.141 PMid:18410940

Lindqvist, M., Lindkvist, M., Eurenius, E., Persson, M., & Mogren, I. (2017). Change of lifestyle habits: Motivation and ability reported by pregnant women in northern Sweden. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare, 13, 83–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srhc.2017.07.001 PMid:28844363

Moussa, H. N., Alrais, M. A., Leon, M. G., Abbas, E. L., & Sibai, B. M. (2016). Obesity epidemic: Impact from preconception to postpartum. Future science OA, 2(3), Article FSO137. https://doi.org/10.4155/fsoa-2016-0035 PMid:28031980; PMCid:PMC5137925

Munn, Z., Peters, M., Stern, C., Tufanaru, C., McArthur, A., & Aromataris, E. (2018). Systematic review or scoping review: Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 18(1), 143. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x PMid:30453902; PMCid:PMC6245623

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Excellence [NICE]. (2023). Weight management before, during and after pregnancy: Public Health Guideline. Retrieved February 27, 2023 from https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph27/resources/weight-management-before-during-and-after-pregnancypdf-1996242046405.

Palmer, N. O., Bakos, H. W., Fullston, T., & Lane, M. (2012). Impact of obesity on male fertility, sperm function and molecular composition. Spermatogenesis, 2(4), 253–263. https://doi.org/10.4161/spmg.21362 PMid:23248766; PMCid:PMC3521747

Pandey, S., Pandey, S., Maheshwari, A., & Bhattacharya, S. (2010). The impact of female obesity on the outcome of fertility treatment. Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, 3(2), 62–67. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-1208.69332 PMid:21209748; PMCid:PMC2970793

Sallmén, M., Sandler, D. P., Hoppin, J. A., Blair, A., & Baird, D. D. (2006). Reduced fertility among overweight and obese men. Epidemiology, 17(5), 520–523. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ede.0000229953.76862.e5 PMid:16837825

Souter, I., Baltagi, L. M., Kuleta, D., Meeker, J. D., & Petrozza, J. C. (2011). Women, weight, and fertility: The effect of body mass index on the outcome of superovulation/intrauterine insemination cycles. Fertility and Sterility, 95(3), 1042–1047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.11.062 PMid:21195401

Stephenson, J., Heslehurst, N., Hall, J., Schoenaker, D., Hutchinson, J., Cade, J. E. … Mishra, G. D. (2018). Before the beginning: Nutrition and lifestyle in the preconception period and its importance for future health. Lancet, 391(10132), 1830–1841. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30311-8 PMid:29673873

Tsigga, M., Filis, V., Hatzopoulou, K., Kotzamanidis, C., & Grammatikopoulou, M. G. (2011). Healthy Eating Index during pregnancy according to pre-gravid and gravid weight status. Public Health Nutrition, 14(2), 290–296. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980010001989 PMid:20642871

World Health Organization [WHO]. (2019). Body mass index– BMI. Retrieved October 29, 2022 from http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/nutrition/a-healthylifestyle/body-mass-index-bmi

World Health Organization [WHO]. (2021). Obesity and overweight. Retrieved October 29, 2022 from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight

Zain, M. M., & Norman, R. J. (2008). Impact of obesity on female fertility and fertility treatment. Women's Health, 4(2), 183–194. https://doi.org/10.2217/17455057.4.2.183 PMid:19072520

Downloads

Published

2023-05-05

How to Cite

Petročnik, P., Prosen, M., & Mivšek, A. P. (2023). The effects of increased body mass index on preconception health: A scoping literature review. Slovenian Nursing Review, 57(3), 175–183. https://doi.org/10.14528/snr.2023.57.3.3092

Issue

Section

Review article

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 4 > >>