The Environmental Study on Assessing the Infertility and its Risk Factors: a Population-based Study of Married Couples in Iran

Concerns about the detrimental effects of occupational and environmental exposure on male reproductive function have been raised by reports of declining sperm quality over the last decades. Infertility is a critical problem of couples during reproductive age around the world. This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2014 to June 2015 in Kohgiluyeh Va Boyer-Aahmad province, Iran. A total of 2284 couples whose women were 19-49 year old through a multistage sampling were randomly selected. Measurements of age, education, occupation, weight and height of men and women, residential place, weather temperature state of the residence region of the couples and the pregnancy history of the wives were gathered. Data were statistically described. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to detect risk factors for infertility. Statistical significant level was set at 0.05. The prevalence of current infertility among the couples was 10.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.6-12.2]. Woman's age of 35 years or older [odds ratio (OR)= 1.38: 1.031.85], resident in regions with hot weather condition (OR= 1.47: 1.02-2.11), rural residential state (OR= 1.54: 1.13-2.1) and illiteracy of women (OR= 1.96: 1.24-3.09) significantly increased the risk of infertility occurrence among the couples. In concluding, Infertility was a concerned health and social problem in the studied population. Rural residential condition, living in regions with hot temperature, illiteracy of woman and the age at 35 years and older in women were detected as the risk factors of infertility presence in the studied couples.