TITLE:
Sub-Fertility and Obesity among Urban Ghanaian Women in Cape Coast, West Africa
AUTHORS:
Sebastian Derick Taylor, Joycelyn Adjei-Mensah, Richard Pinkrah, Amponsa Araba Tiwaa, Diallo Abdoul Azize
KEYWORDS:
Cape Coast, Body Mass Index, Obesity, Sub-Fertility
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.15 No.12,
December
24,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: The high and increasing prevalence of obesity among Ghanaian adults is predicted to be associated with detrimental health consequences, including subfertility among women who are in their reproductive ages. Based on existing data in the developed country, obesity affects fertility. However, there is paucity in literature on the synopsis of obesity and its association with infertility among women in urban African setting, particularly in Ghana. Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of obesity among infertile couples and its possible contribution to infertility at the University of Cape Coast Hospital. Method: A hospital-based cross-sectional survey with retrospective data collection combined with a comparative component was carried out over a period of 24 consecutive months from January 2018 to December 2019. A data extraction tool was used to collect secondary data from patients’ records. Results: The prevalence of sub-fertility was 15.3%, with primary sub-fertility accounting for 53.4% of cases. The prevalence of obesity was 43.3% among the infertile population compared to 18.3 % for the fertile population. Also, obesity was significantly associated with sub-fertility (OR = 3.59, [1.96; 6.57]). Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity and overweight was high among sub-fertile women compared to those who are fertile, and obesity was significantly associated with sub-fertility. Findings suggest the need for education on healthy lifestyle among Sub-fertile women to improve their fertility.