Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36782223›Full record

ArticleReproductive health2023

Lifestyle and environmental risk factors for unexplained male infertility: study protocol for Australian Male Infertility Exposure (AMIE), a case-control study.

Sarah N Biggs, Joanne Kennedy, Sharon L Lewis, Stephen Hearps, Moira K O'Bryan, Robert McLachlan, Simon von Saldern, Georgina Chambers, Jane Halliday

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Reproductive health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
7.4field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Sarah N BiggsReproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, 3052, Australia. sarah.biggs@mcri.edu.au.
Joanne KennedyReproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.
Sharon L LewisReproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.
Stephen HearpsReproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.
Moira K O'BryanSchool of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, Australia.
Robert McLachlanClinical Andrology, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, 3168, Australia.
Simon von SaldernHealthy Male, Melbourne, 3004, Australia.
Georgina ChambersNational Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia.
Jane HallidayReproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.
The University of Melbourne · AUHudson Institute of Medical Research · AUMurdoch Children's Research Institute · AUUNSW Sydney · AU

Funding

Medical Research Futures Fund 000007
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundApproximately 1 in 20 men are sub-fertile or infertile yet the aetiologies of male infertility remain largely unexplained. It is suggested that lifestyle choices and environmental factors contribute but research is limited. In particular, no study has evaluated early life exposures and subsequent male infertility. To address this knowledge gap, this study aims to characterise a cohort of men with idiopathic infertility and compare their general health, lifestyle choices and environmental exposures from teenage years onwards to men without reproductive abnormalities.

methodsTwo groups of men (N = 500 cases; N = 500 controls), matched for age and socio-economic status, will be recruited from fertility clinics around Australia between June 2021 and June 2024. Men will be eligible if they are between 18 and 50 years, with a female partner less than 42 years, and have identified idiopathic male infertility (case) or are part of a couple with diagnosed female factor infertility but with no indication of compromised male fertility (control). Participants will complete an in-depth survey on general health, lifestyle and environmental exposures, reporting from teenage years onwards. An online medical data capture form will be used to gather fertility assessment information from participant medical records. Biological specimens of saliva (all study participants), blood and urine (optional) will be collected and stored for future genetic and epigenetic analysis. Differences in outcome measures between cases and controls will be determined using appropriate between groups comparisons. The relationship between explanatory variables and infertility will be analysed using multilevel modelling to account for clustering within fertility clinics. DISCUSSION: This study addresses an important gap in research on the aetiology of male infertility and will provide a comprehensive profile of the lifestyle and environmental risk factors for male infertility, leading to provision of up-to-date health advice for male teenagers and adults about optimising their fertility.

Indexed as

InfertilityInfertility, FemaleInfertility, MaleAdolescentAdultAustraliaCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansLife StyleMaleRisk FactorsARTEnvironmental exposureEpidemiologyIdiopathicInfertilityLifestyleMale

Identifiers

PMID36782223
PMCPMC9924856
OpenAlexW4320490121

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.