Body Composition and Dietary Intake of Women Attending an Infertility Clinic-Polish Observational Study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the body composition and dietary intake of female patients attending one of the Polish infertility clinics. Additionally, we evaluated if there were any relationships between dietary intake and body composition parameters. METHODS: The study involved 51 women who met the inclusion criteria. For the nutritional assessment, we used 3-day dietary records. Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, and body composition were assessed. The participants were divided into three groups, with low (I, n = 12), normal (II, n = 27), and high (III, n = 12) fat tissue content, and then compared in terms of dietary intake. RESULTS: The lowest protein intake per kilogram of body weight was observed in group III (p < 0.001). In group I, we reported the highest consumption of plant protein in general (p = 0.03) and per kg of body weight (p < 0.001). Higher protein intake per kg body mass was associated with lower values of BMI (r = -0.681; p < 0.001), fat mass (r = -0.641; p < 0.001), waist-hip ratio (r = -0.391; p = 0.005), and abdominal fat index (r = -0.653; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that targeted nutritional counseling focused on optimizing protein intake and emphasizing plant-based sources may improve body composition and potentially support fertility outcomes in women undergoing infertility treatment.