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Topical Area: Maternal, Perinatal and Pediatric Nutrition

Maternal, Perinatal and Pediatric Nutrition (II) (Poster Session)

(P18-062-23) Paternal Diet and Other Lifestyle Factors Related to Sperm Quantity and Quality: A Scoping Review

Sunday, July 23, 2023
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM ET
Location: Poster Board 536

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Morgan Rom, M.S.

    Ph.D. Student
    Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

    • Co-Author(s)

  • MW

    Marianna S. Wetherill, PhD, MPH, RDN/LD

    Assistant Professor
    Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, Hudson College of Public Health
    Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • AR

    Andrea L. Root

    College of Nursing, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

  • IP

    Ian J. Peake

    Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

  • NM

    Nile McCullough

    Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

  • EM

    Emrys Moreau

    University of Oklahoma, Schusterman Library

  • DM

    Dora Mensah

    University of Oklahoma, Schusterman Library

Disclosure(s):
Morgan Rom, PhD Student: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: To conduct a scoping review to identify available evidence on the roles of paternal preconception diet and other lifestyle behaviors on male sperm quality and quantity.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and Embase for studies that assessed the association between sperm quantity and quality in human males and six fundamental lifestyle medicine pillars: eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, positive social connections, and avoidance of risky substances, specifically tobacco and alcohol. Obesity-related search terms were also included due to the established relationship between obesity and lifestyle. We used Covidence review management software to screen and identify studies that assessed correlations between any of these lifestyle factors and sperm parameters.

Results: After removing duplicates, we screened 1,215 articles for eligibility. Following full-text review of 193 articles, 38 studies totaling 15,905 participants met our inclusion criteria. Of the 38 studies, 5 studies focused specifically on diet and 12 studies assessed at least one measure of dietary intake with 5 of these studies focusing exclusively on diet.: These studies assessed eating patterns (n=5), meat intake (n=2), soy intake (n=1), sugar-sweetened beverage intake (n=1), daily walnut supplementation (n=1), dietary fat (n=1), and dairy intake (n=1). Nearly all studies included measures of sperm quantity, quality, and morphology. Most of the remaining studies focused on one lifestyle factor exclusively: BMI (n=8), stress (n=4), physical activity (n= 6), or risky substances (n=5). Only one study collected any information on sleep and no studies included comprehensive assessment of all lifestyle domains.

Conclusions: Research conducted to date has been primarily observational and limited to assessment of nutrition, other lifestyle behaviors, or obesity in isolation of other lifestyle risks. Comprehensive studies are needed to better inform future nutrition and lifestyle medicine clinical trials, and ultimately the practice of nutrition and other lifestyle medicine prescriptions to improve the preconception health of men.

Funding Sources: N/A