Impact of a health coaching intervention on anthropometric indicators, physical activity, and life style of infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effects of health coaching on anthropometric indicators, physical activity, and life style of infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: A quasi-experimental study was performed on 78 infertile overweight/obese women with PCOS, aged 18-35 years, who were referred to an infertility clinic. The participants were randomly assigned to the coaching group or the control group receiving routine care. The coaching group participated in six coaching sessions (30-45 minutes), held by a midwife coach. The primary outcome of the study was BMI change before and after the intervention. The secondary outcomes were the waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, physical activity (based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ], and lifestyle (based on the Lifestyle Questionnaire (LSQ]. Results: Changes in BMI after the intervention were 1.7 kg/m2 and 1.5 kg/m2 in the coaching and control groups, respectively. No significant mean difference was observed between the two groups in terms of change in BMI from T0 (baseline) to T1 (four months post-intervention). A significant mean difference was found between the two groups regarding changes in the waist circumference (-2.13; 95% CI, -0.22 to -4.05; P=0.020), total physical activity excluding the sitting time (3025.22; 95% CI, 1088.68 to 4961.77; P=0.003), and total LSQ score (11.03; 95% CI, 3.34 to 18.72; P=0.006). Conclusion: In the present study, the beneficial effects of a health coaching intervention on reducing the waist circumference, increasing physical activity, and improving lifestyle were highlighted in most PCOS women undergoing fertility treatments.