Association Between Demographic Characteristics and Sperm DNA Fragmentation Index in Infertile Men

The DNA fragmentation index (DFI) is an essential marker in evaluating male fertility. Lifestyle is supposed to have a remarkable effect on enhancing this index and, subsequently, male fertility.

This study investigated the relationship between lifestyle habits and sperm DFI in infertile men admitted to Shahid Rahimi and Shohada-ye Ashayer hospitals in Khorramabad, Iran, from 2020 to 2021.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 222 infertile men. The samples were divided into three groups based on their sperm DFI: < 15%, 15 - 30%, and < 30%. In each group, alcohol consumption, smoking, age, and body mass index (BMI) were compared. The analysis was performed by SPSS software (version 22) using the chi-square test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.

The mean age of patients was 37.45 ± 5.99 years. The DFI was < 15%, 15 - 30%, and 30% < in 119 (53.6%), 69 (31.1%), and 34 (15.3%) individuals, respectively. The mean age in the DFI groups of less than 15%, 15 - 30%, and more than 30% was 35.88, 38.17, and 41.52 years, respectively. The analysis showed a significant difference in the mean age of the three groups (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant relationship between smoking, alcohol consumption, and BMI with DFI (P > 0.05).

There was no significant relationship between lifestyle factors and DFI. However, large-scale studies are required to evaluate the role of these factors, as if their role in infertility is proven, lifestyle modification might be a potential method for managing infertility.