Female fertility and lifestyle

Sophia Torkel; Nur K Abdul Jafar; Anthony Villani; Evangeline Mantzioris; Robert J Norman; Rui Wang; Stephanie Cowan; Lisa Moran

doi:10.23736/S2724-606X.25.05770-7

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Peer reviewed

Female fertility and lifestyle

Sophia Torkel, Nur K Abdul Jafar, Anthony Villani, Evangeline Mantzioris, Robert J Norman, Rui Wang, Stephanie Cowan and Lisa Moran

Minerva Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol.78(1), pp.63-80

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23736/S2724-606X.25.05770-7

PMID: 41269039

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Abstract

Fertility

Diet

Exercise

Sleep

INTRODUCTION: Female fertility is influenced by a complex interplay of lifestyle factors. They may include weight, diet, supplementation, physical activity, sleep and substance use. Understanding these factors, in combination with a thorough understanding of strategies to support effective behavior change is essential to develop effective lifestyle interventions for women who wish to enhance their fertility. this review aimed to summarize the evidence on female fertility and lifestyle, and to discuss intervention considerations which may affect implementation of the evidence. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Electronic databases (PubMed, Google scholar) were searched to identify relevant peer reviewed studies and evidence-based guidelines. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The following lifestyle factors are associated with improved female fertility: maintaining a healthy weight, following a healthy dietary pattern (e.g. Mediterranean diet) with appropriate supplementation, participating in regular physical activity, attaining 7-8.5 hours of high-quality nocturnal sleep and avoiding or limiting substance use (caffeine, alcohol and smoking). considering the factors affecting lifestyle management in both consumers (e.g. emotional eating and financial barriers) and health professionals (e.g. time constraints and concerns about patient expectations of care) is essential to optimize success of lifestyle interventions to improve fertility. CONCLUSIONS: lifestyle management has an important role in improving reproductive health and overall health for women who wish to conceive. a patient-centered approach which incorporates behavioral science, individual preferences, and healthcare delivery considerations is essential. there is a need for further research to inform optimal intervention components and behavior change strategies for this population

Details

Title: Female fertility and lifestyle
Authors: Sophia Torkel (Author) - Monash University
Nur K Abdul Jafar (Author) - Monash University
Anthony Villani - University of the Sunshine Coast
Evangeline Mantzioris (Author) - University of South Australia
Robert J Norman (Author) - The University of Adelaide
Rui Wang (Author) - The University of Sydney
Stephanie Cowan (Author) - Monash University
Lisa Moran (Corresponding Author) - Monash University
Publication details: Minerva Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol.78(1), pp.63-80
Publisher: Edizioni Minerva Medica
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.23736/S2724-606X.25.05770-7
ISSN: 2724-6450
PMID: 41269039
Copyright note: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY-NC license which allows users to distribute, remix, adapt and build upon the manuscript, as long as this is not done for commercial purposes, the user gives appropriate credits to the original author(s) and the source (with a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI), provides a link to the license and indicates if changes were made. Full details on the CC BY-NC 4.0 are available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
Organisation Unit: Healthy Ageing Research Cluster; School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991184644402621
Output Type: Journal article

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