Emerging literature suggests that menÕs diets may affect spermatogenesis as reflected in semen quality indicators, but literature on the relation between meat intake and semen quality is limited. Our objective was to prospectively examine the relation between meat intake and indicators of semen quality. Men in subfertile couples presenting for evaluation at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center were invited to participate in an ongoing study of environmental factors and fertility. A total of 155 men completed a validated food-frequency questionnaire and subsequently provided 338 semen samples over an 18-mo period from 2007-2012. We used linear mixed regression models to examine the relation between meat intake and semen quality indicators (total sperm count, sperm concentration, progressive motility, morphology, and semen volume) while adjusting for potential confounders and accounting for within-person variability across repeat semen samples. Among the 155 men (median age: 36.1 y; 83% white, non-Hispanic), processed meat intake was inversely related to sperm morphology. Men in the highest quartile of processed meat intake had, on average, 1.7 percentage units (95% CI: 23.3, 20.04) fewer morphologically normal sperm than men in the lowest quartile of intake (P-trend = 0.02). Fish intake was related to higher sperm count and percentage of morphologically normal sperm. The adjusted mean total sperm count increased from 102 million (95% CI: 80, 131) in the lowest quartile to 168 million (95% CI: 136, 207) sperm in the highest quartile of fish intake (P-trend = 0.005). Similarly, the adjusted mean percentages of morphologically normal sperm for men in increasing quartiles of fish intake were 5.9 (95% CI: 5.0, 6.8), 5.3 (95% CI: 4.4, 6.3), 6.3 (95% CI: 5.2, 7.4), and 7.5 (95% CI: 6.5, 8.5) (P-trend = 0.01). Consuming fish may have a positive impact on sperm counts and morphology, particularly when consumed instead of processed red meats.
Mexico has experienced shifts in food availability and consumption patterns over the past few decades from traditional diets to those containing more high-energy density foods, resulting in the development of unhealthful dietary patterns among children and adults. However, to our knowledge it is not known whether breakfast consumption patterns contribute to the overall daily diet of Mexican children. We examined total-day diet among breakfast consumers compared with breakfast skippers, identified and investigated breakfast dietary patterns in relation to energy and nutrient intakes at breakfast and across the day, and examined these patterns in relation to sociodemographic characteristics. With the use of nationally representative dietary data (one 24-h recall) from the 2012 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey, 3760 children aged 4-13 y were categorized into mutually exclusive breakfast patterns with the use of cluster analysis. The association between breakfast patterns and breakfast skippers with dietary intake at breakfast and for the total day was investigated with the use of multivariate linear regression. Most children (83%) consumed breakfast. Six breakfast dietary patterns were identified (milk and sweetened breads, tortillas and beans, sweetened beverages, sandwiches and quesadillas, eggs, and cereal and milk) and reflected both traditional and more Westernized dietary patterns. Sugar-sweetened beverages were consumed across all patterns. Compared with all breakfast dietary patterns, breakfast skippers had the lowest intake of several nutrients of public health concern. Nutrients to limit that were high at breakfast tended to be high for the total day and vice versa for nutrients to encourage. There was not a single pattern that complied perfectly with the Mexican School Breakfast Guidelines, but changes such as increasing dietary fiber by encouraging more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans and reducing sodium and sugar-sweetened beverages could support compliance with these targets and improve overall diet quality.
Objective To compare self-report and physician assessments of sexual maturation against serum hormone markers to evaluate the hypothesis that the validity of self-assessed sexual maturation is underestimated in traditional validation studies. Study design We adapted a self-assessment instrument that 248 Mexican children and adolescents, age 8–13 years, completed. Participants were examined by a trained pediatrician and provided fasting blood samples for measurement of reproductive (testosterone, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), Inhibin B) and other hormones (C-peptide, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), leptin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S)) known to change during adolescence. Spearman correlations (r) were calculated among the average rank of all hormones, self-, and physician-assessed Tanner stage. The method of triads was used to assess validity of self-reports by estimating correlations between self-assessments and true, but unobservable, sexual maturation based on all available data. 95% confidence intervals (CI) were constructed using bootstrap sampling. Results Validity of self-reported genitalia staging for boys was modest (r[95%CI]=0.50[0.31–0.65]) and inferior to physician assessment (0.75[0.56–0.93]). Breast stage was well reported (0.89[0.79–0.97]) and superior to physician assessment (0.80[0.70–0.89]). Pubic hair stage reported by boys (0.91[0.79–0.99]) and girls (0.99[0.96–1.00]) were superior to physician assessment (0.79[0.57–0.97] and 0.91[0.83–0.97], respectively). Conclusion Self-assessment can be validly used in epidemiologic studies for evaluation of sexual maturation in children. Physician assessment may be necessary for accurate assessment of genitalia development in boys.
Background Semen quality appears to have declined over the past decades but reasons for this decline are unresolved. The concurrent increase in sedentary behavior may be a contributing factor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of physical activity and television (TV) watching with sperm parameters in a population of young, healthy men Methods Men aged 18-22 years (n=189) from the Rochester Young Men's Study (2009-2010) were used in this analysis. Physical activity (hours/week of moderate and vigorous exercise) and TV watching (hours/week of TV, video, or DVD watching) over the past 3 months was assessed via questionnaire. Semen quality was assessed by sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and total sperm count. Results Sperm concentration and total sperm count were directly related to physical activity after multivariable adjustment (p-trend=0.01 and 0.04); men in the highest quartile of moderate-to-vigorous activity (≥15 hours/week) had 73% (95% CI 15 to 160%) higher sperm concentration than men in the lowest quartile (< 5 hours/week). TV watching was inversely associated with sperm concentration and total sperm count in multivariable analyses (p-trend=0.05 and 0.06); men in the highest quartile of TV watching (>20 hours/week) had 44% (95% CI 15 to 63%) lower sperm concentration than men in the lowest quartile (0 hours/week). These measures of physical and leisure time activities were not significantly associated with sperm motility or morphology. Conclusions In this population of healthy men, higher moderate-to-vigorous activity and less TV watching were significantly associated with higher total sperm count and sperm concentration.
Objective To evaluate prospectively the associations of folate with assisted reproductive technology outcomes within a U.S. population. Methods This analysis included women (n=232) in a prospective cohort study at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center. Diet was assessed before assisted reproductive technology treatment using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Intermediate and clinical endpoints of ART were abstracted from medical records. Generalized linear mixed models with random intercepts to account for multiple cycles per woman were used to evaluate the association of folate intake with ART outcomes adjusting for calorie intake, age, BMI, race, smoking status, infertility diagnosis, and protocol type. Results Among the 232 women (median age=35.2 years, median folate intake=1,778 μg/day), higher folate intake was associated with higher rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth. The adjusted percentage (95% CI) of initiated assisted reproductive technology cycles resulting in a live birth for women in increasing quartiles of folate intake were 30% (21, 42%), 47% (35, 59%), 42% (30, 35%) and 56% (43, 67%)(P-trend=0.01). Live birth rates were 20% (8, 31%) higher among women in the highest quartile of supplemental folate intake (>800μg/day) than among women in the lowest quartile (<400μg/day). Higher supplemental folate intake was associated with higher fertilization rates and lower cycle failure rates before embryo transfer (P-trend=0.03 and 0.02). Conclusions Higher intake of supplemental folate was associated with higher live birth rates after assisted reproductive technology treatment.
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