Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42489369›Full record

ArticleThe journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research2026

Mediating Role of Depression in the Association Between the Body Roundness Index and Female Infertility: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Data From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2018.

Huizhe Ding, Yiran Fei, Yinying Chai, Yonglin Liu, Jia Xu, Guoyin Kai, Yun Sun, Yibo He, Lei Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Huizhe DingThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yiran FeiThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yinying ChaiThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yonglin LiuReproductive Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9429-071X
Jia XuNon-Coding RNA and Drug Discovery Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1612-1136
Guoyin KaiLaboratory for Core Technology of TCM Quality Improvement and Transformation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7586-9067
Yun SunDepartment of Gynaecology, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University Affiliated Wenzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2584-7740
Yibo HeThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Lei ZhangHangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6978-8234

Funding

Hainan Province Health Industry Scientific Research Project 21A200333Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health Research of Zhejiang ProvinceNatural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province LQN25H270011Sanya University and Medical Institutions Special Science and Technology Project 2021GXYL29Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityZhejiang Province Medical and Health Science and Technology Project 2024KY1201Zhejiang Province Traditional Chinese Medicine (Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine) 2024-XK-59Zhejiang Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Project 2024ZR015
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObesity and depression critically impact infertility, with Body Roundness Index (BRI) superseding BMI in assessing visceral adiposity by quantifying abdominal fat's metabolic dysregulation. Depression-infertility links involve physiological-behavioral mechanisms and psychosocial stigma, affecting 12.7% of US reproductive-age women. Longitudinal studies and integrated interventions combining precision diagnostics, metabolic optimization, and mental health are imperative to address multifactorial.

methodsThis cross-sectional study analyzed 4429 women aged 18-45 from NHANES (2013-2018) to investigate depression-infertility associations, defining infertility as ≥ 1 year of unsuccessful pregnancy attempts. Depression severity was quantified using PHQ-9 scores (0-27). Through multivariate logistic regression and subgroup analyses stratified by age and race/ethnicity, nonlinear relationships were examined via smoothed curve fitting and threshold effect analysis. The findings systematically revealed significant correlations between depressive symptoms and infertility risks, emphasizing mental health's role in reproductive outcomes while controlling for demographic confounders.

resultsAmong the participants, 527 women (11.89%) were diagnosed with infertility. A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between the BRI and infertility risk, with higher BRI values associated with increased infertility incidence (p < 0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that the PHQ-9 score mediated 4.46% of the total effect between BRI and infertility in the overall population, with a stronger mediating effect (9.13%) among participants with BRI > 5.2.

conclusionThis NHANES-based study demonstrates a significant association between elevated BRI and female infertility, with depressive symptoms partially mediating this relationship, particularly in high-BRI subgroups.

Indexed as

DepressionInfertility, FemaleObesityAdolescentAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMiddle AgedNutrition SurveysUnited StatesYoung AdultBRIdepressioninfertilitymediation analysisNHANES

Identifiers

PMID42489369
PMCPMC13393340

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.