ABSTRACT

Background: Infertility is a global public health problem according to the World Health Organization and has been found to affect about 10–15% couples globally. Though both male and female account for the causes, the consequences such as discrimination, stigma, ostracism and violence just to mention a few are mostly felt by females. Several factors such as socio-demographic, behavioral, reproductive and environmental have been identified as determinants of infertility in and outside Nigeria. However, there is paucity of published data about risk factors of infertility in Edo State, Nigeria.

Objective: In order to shed more light on determinants of infertility in Nigeria, this study examined the prevalent type of infertility, the selected socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics and their association with infertility among infertile women attending infertility clinic at UBTH, Beinin City, Edo State Nigeria.

Methodology: A hospital-based unmatched case-control approach was used with a total of 136 cases and 272 controls included. Data on selected socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics were collected from fertile and infertile women attending postnatal and infertility clinics respectively using a structured interviewer administered questionnaire.

Data analysis: An IBM SPSS version 22.0 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics and frequency with percentage were used to analyze demographic characteristics and categorical variables respectively. For associations chi-square with a p-value set at 0.05 was use and binary logistic regression to identify predictors.

Results: The study found a higher proportion of secondary infertility (73.5%). Associated factors are; age (p<0.001), occupation (p=0.001), residence (p = 0.71), body mass index (p<0.001), smoking (p = 0.001), and alcohol (p = <0.001). The predictors of female infertility include; age range of 45 to 49 (AOR 21.03; 95% CI: 5.70-77.58), employed and doing business (AOR 10.14; 95% CI: 1.13-90.83) and (AOR 17.34; 95% CI: 2.02-148.80) respectively, obesity (AOR 3.02; 95% CI: 1.40-6.52;), smoking (AOR 5.45; 95% CI: 1.03-28.79;), and alcohol intake (AOR 2.45; 95% CI: 1.20 -5.00). Secondary and tertiary level of education were not predictors (AOR 1.03; 95% CI: 0.22-4.49) and (AOR 1.27; 95% CI: 0.28-5.72) respectively.

Conclusion: The study has highlighted several risk factors of female infertility of which most of them are preventable through modification.