Factors associated with infertility among the Lebanese population: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

The incidence of female infertility is growing worldwide and its rate varies across countries. . The goal of this study is to assess the rate of female infertility and identify its associated factors among Lebanese women. This cross-sectional study was conducted between January to May 2019, enrolling a total of 952 females. The mean age was 34.8 ± 8 years and the rate of infertility was 34.3%. The multivariable analysis taking presence vs absence of infertility as the dependent variable, showed that patients with advanced age (aOR = 1.04), endometriosis (aOR = 2.175) and polycystic ovarian syndrome (aOR = 1.41) were significantly associated with higher rate of infertility. On the other hand, having a college level of education compared to a school level was significantly associated with lower odds of infertility (aOR = 0.511). The study highlights that the rate of infertility is high in Lebanon and is mainly associated with various sociodemographic factors and disease states. The findings raise the need to establish awareness campaigns that focus on early diagnosis of infertility, control the associated factors, and treat underlying comorbid conditions.

KEYWORDS:

• Infertility
• comorbidities
• medications
• rate
• factors

Acknowledgements

We thank all the participants for sharing their data making this study possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Authors’ contributions

ND, ZK and SN drafted the manuscript. SM and ND performed the statistical analysis of the results. DM, AS and BM contributed in the idea and design of the research project. DM, SH, and SK reviewed the manuscript and proofread all the sections required. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Availability of data and material

The data reported in this article are openly available in the Open Science Framework at DOI: 261 10.17605/OSF.IO/ET83J.

Ethical approval and consent to participate

The Institutional Review Board of Faculty of Pharmacy of the Lebanese International University waived the need for approval based on the fact that it was an observational study that respected the autonomy and confidentiality of the participants and caused them no harm. Additionally, data was anonymous and could not be traced back. Individuals agreeing to partake in the study were asked to read through and sign off to a written informed consent form. The study was conducted in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for profit sectors.