Laura Bunting|Jacky Boivin
Knowledge about infertility risk factors, fertility myths and illusory benefits of healthy habits in young people
Cardiff University|Cardiff University
previous research highlighted lack fertility awareness general population especially relation optimal fertile period menstrual cycle incidence infertility duration reproductive life span current study assessed fertility knowledge broadly young people investigated three areas knowledge namely risk factors associated female infertility eg smoking beliefs false fertility myths eg benefits rural living beliefs illusory benefits healthy habits eg exercising regularly female fertilitythe sample n 149 consisted 110 female 39 male postgraduate undergraduate university students average age 2401 sd 781 knowledge scores based simple task requiring participants estimate effect factor would group 100 women trying get pregnant items n 21 grouped according three categories risk factors eg smoking 7 items myths eg living countryside 7 items healthy habits eg normal weight 7 itemsan analysis variance showed significant main effect factor p 0001 post hoc tests revealed young people significantly better correctly identifying effects risks compared null effects healthy habits p 0001 fertility myths p 0001young people aware negative lifestyle factors reduce fertility falsely believe fertility myths benefits healthy habits suggest public education campaigns directed erroneous beliefs pseudo protective factors