Anthropometric basis in women with infertility permanently residing in Central Ukraine according to the characteristics of the general adaptation syndrome under conditions of prolonged war

Abstract

Chronic psychoemotional and somatic stress under conditions of the prolonged war may influence neuroendocrine regulation in women, leading to changes in anthropometric characteristics and potentially affecting the course of infertility. At the same time, constitutional body features may modulate individual adaptive responses according to the concept of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS).

Aim - to evaluate anthropometric parameters in women with infertility who permanently resided in central Ukraine during the prolonged war from the perspective of the GAS concept.

Materials and methods. A prospective observational study was conducted involving 81 women of reproductive age diagnosed with infertility. The main group consisted of 50 women with infertility residing in central Ukraine since 2022, the control group - 31 women without fertility disorders (historical control). Somatotype (Heath-Carter method) and body composition components (Matiegka method) were assessed together with stress level (Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory). GAS phases were determined using the adaptation coefficient.

Results. The majority of women in the main group were in the resistance phase of GAS (66.0%), while the adaptation phase was observed in 30.0% and the exhaustion phase in 4.0%. Low stress-associated disease risk was found in 60.0%, moderate in 30.0%, high in 10.0%. Women with high risk had higher body mass, fat and bone components, endomorphy and lower body water percentage (p<0.05), as well as a significantly reduced muscle component compared with the control group (16.24±2.20 vs 20.81±1.99; p<0.001). Correlation analysis revealed moderate associations between anxiety scores and anthropometric parameters. No statistically significant differences were observed between GAS phases.

Conclusions. Body composition and somatotype may serve as morpho-constitutional markers of individual adaptive response to chronic psychoemotional stress. The predominance of the resistance phase indicates preserved adaptive reserves.

The study was conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The Local Ethics Committee of the Perinatal Center approved the protocol of the study. Informed consent of women was obtained for the study.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.