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image of Eating Disorders in Infertile Individuals: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction

Infertile people may develop eating disorders as a result of changes in various aspects of their health. Given the lack of systematic reviews in this area, this systematic review was conducted to investigate eating disorders among infertile individuals.

Method

This\ systematic review was conducted using PRISMA. A search was independently conducted by two researchers in reputable international databases using the keywords of eating disorders, infertility, and synonyms. The search was conducted in English with no time limit until February 1, 2025. The quality of the articles was assessed using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist.

Results

The full text of 578 articles was reviewed, and 6 articles were included in the systematic review based on the study objectives. One study was on both men and women, while five studies were exclusively on women, and different instruments were used to measure eating disorders in the studies. Few studies have been conducted in this area, especially concerning infertile men. The results, however, indicated that infertile women can develop eating disorders as a consequence of their infertility.

Discussion

Infertile individuals can suffer from mental disorders and subsequently develop eating disorders. There is only one study in this area, especially in the area of mens' health, and more studies are needed.

Conclusion

People experiencing infertility may also suffer from eating disorders, so it is important to pay attention to this issue and provide them with appropriate counseling and assessments.

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2025-09-19
2025-12-17
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PRISMA checklist is available as supplementary material on the publisher’s website along with the published article.


  • Article Type:
    Review Article
Keywords: Infertility ; male ; eating disorders ; women ; systematic review ; agenda
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