Health promotion lifestyle and its influencing factors for women undergoing infertility treatment

Objective: To explore the health promotion lifestyle and its influencing factors in women undergoing infertility treatment. Materials and methods: This study employed a cross-sectional survey to collect data from women undergoing infertility treatment at the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic of a medical center in northern Taiwan. Data were collected from December 18, 2021, to March 13, 2023, including basic demographic information and the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile (HPLP). A total of 103 participants were included in the study. Results: The average score on the HPLP for participants was 65.28 (out of a total of 120). Among the six subscales, social support received the highest score, while exercise behavior received the lowest score. Factors significantly associated with the score included exercise habits, infertility-related stress, and occupation (F = 7.904, p < 0.001). Women who became pregnant after treatment exhibited better nutritional behaviors compared to those who did not conceive (2.08 ± 0.55 vs. 1.80 ± 0.58, p = 0.038). Women who did not become pregnant reported higher economic stress related to infertility treatment (t = 2.169, p < 0.05). Women who started treatment an average of 37 months after marriage experienced higher infertility treatment stress compared to those who sought treatment within 12 months of marriage (F = 3.342, p < 0.05). Conclusions: A health-promoting lifestyle should be included in the routine care guidelines for infertility treatment to enhance the chances of conception, particularly focusing on improving nutrition and increasing exercise.