Lategan, R.Grobler, S.Du Toit, Elmine (WC)2016-11-152016-11-152016http://hdl.handle.net/11660/4543English: The health of parents determine the development of their children and a link between paternal diet, metabolic health, body weight and semen parameters have been shown. Various factors may influence semen parameters and in this study the effect of micro-nutrient and omega-3 supplementation on semen parameters was investigated by evaluating semen parameters and fatty acid composition of intact semen at baseline and three months after intervention. The study also investigated the effect of age, environmental-, lifestyle-, anthropometric and dietary factors on semen parameters. A placebo controlled intervention study on 50 apparently healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 45 years was conducted and data collection took place at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State. Participants completed a self-reporting questionnaire to report on age, environmental-, lifestyle- and dietary factors. Standard techniques were used to obtain anthropometric measures and physical activity was determined using the self-administered short International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ). Two semen samples were collected and the average used to provide a representative reflection of sperm parameters. Semen analysis included semen volume, sperm concentration, -morphology, quantitative and qualitative motility, pH as well as fatty acid analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample and Chi-squared tests or Fisher exact tests were used to determine associations between variables and two tailed Pearson’s or Spearman’s correlations, as well as analysis of variance were used to describe correlations. A relation between aging and sperm parameters are described in literature, however in this younger study sample with a median age of 24 years, no correlation was found between age and semen parameters, probably because age related changes are only expected later. According to body mass index classification the majority of participants were overweight/ obese and according to neck circumference measurements a large percentage of participants were overweight/obese, but none of the anthropometric measures showed an association with semen concentration, -motility or morphology. In literature, the number of sitting hours per day is linked to semen quality and in this study a weak correlation was found between sperm morphology and the number of hours per day spent sitting. Reported high activity levels did not show an association with sperm parameters. More than half of participants spent more than four hours per day using electronic devices connected to Wi-Fi. A significant association between using electronic devices connected to Wi-Fi for four hours or more per day and a lower sperm motility was found. No statistically significant association between where the cellular phone is carried and normal or abnormal sperm parameters were shown. Although more than half of participants in this study took hot baths, no significant association was found between the use of hot baths and below reference limits for sperm parameters. More than a third of participants wore tight fitting underwear or trousers, which may contribute to an elevation in scrotal temperature and consequently poor semen quality, however no association was found between wearing tight fitting clothing and poor sperm parameters. A healthy prudent diet has been proposed as an economical and safe way to improve sperm function. Although the intake of vegetables and fruit were inadequate and a cause for concern in this study, no association with poor semen quality was found. Alcohol intake of more than five units per week however was significant associated with lower sperm concentration. Supplementing a healthy group of young men with a multi vitamin-mineral and omega-3 supplement over a period of 90 days did not influence the fatty acid composition of their semen or most of the sperm parameters, but showed an improvement in the percentage of sperm with normal forms. For future studies, it is recommended that a larger sample be included if more resources are available and that other geographic areas in South Africa be included, especially as habitual food intake can differ considerably. This study provided valuable information about the possible negative effects of alcohol and use of electronic devices on sperm parameters and the potential of nutrient supplementation to improve sperm morphology. These results can be used when advising males about reproductive health, in order to optimise sperm parameters, which could influence the health of future generations.Afrikaans: Die gesondheid van ouers bepaal die ontwikkeling van hul kinders en ‘n verband tussen die dieet van die pa, metaboliese gesondheid, liggaamsmassa en semenparameters word geïmpliseer. Verskeie faktore mag semenparameters beïnvloed en in hierdie studie is die effek van mikrovoedingstof- en omega-3-supplemente ondersoek deur semenparameters en die vetsuursamestelling van intakte semen by basislyn en na drie maande van supplementasie te ontleed. Hierdie studie het ook die effek van ouderdom, omgewings-, leefstyl-, antropometriese- en dieetfaktore op semenparameters ondersoek. ‘n Plasebo-gekontroleerde intervensiestudie, wat 50 oënskynlik gesonde vrywilligers tussen die ouderdom van 18 en 45 jaar ingesluit het, is uitgevoer en data-insameling het by die Fakulteit Gesondheidswetenskappe, Universiteit van die Vrystaat geskied. Deelnemers het self ‘n vraelys voltooi om inligting oor demografiese-, omgewings-, leefstyl- en dieetfaktore te verskaf. Standaardtegnieke is gebruik om antropometriese metings te neem en fisieke aktiwiteit is bepaal deur die verkorte International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) te gebruik. Twee semenmonsters is versamel en die gemiddelde waarde gebruik om ‘n verteenwoordigende aanduiding van spermparameters te verskaf. Semenanalise het semenvolume, spermkonsentrasie, -morfologie, kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe motiliteit, pH sowel as vetsuuranalise ingesluit. Beskrywende statistiek is gebruik om die steekproef te beskryf en die Chi-kwadraattoets of Fisher eksakte toets is gebruik om verbande tussen veranderlikes te toets en tweesydige Pearson’s of Spearman’s korrelasies sowel as analise van variansie ontledings gebruik om korrelasies te beskryf. ‘n Verband tussen veroudering en spermparameters word in die literatuur beskryf, alhoewel daar in hierdie jonger steekproef met ’n mediaan ouderdom van 24 jaar geen korrelasie tussen ouderdom en semenparameters gevind is nie; waarskynlik aangesien ouderdomverwante veranderinge eers by ʼn later ouderdom verwag word. Volgens liggaamsmassa-indeks klassifikasie, was die meerderheid van deelnemers oormassa/ vetsugtig en volgens nekomtrekmetings was ʼn groot persentasie van deelnemers oormassa/ vetsugtig, maar geen van die antropometriese metings het ʼn verband met semenkonsentrasie, -motiliteit of -morfologie getoon nie. In die literatuur word die aantal ure per dag wat ʼn persoon sittend deurbring in verband gebring met semenkwaliteit en in hierdie studie is ʼn swak korrelasie tussen spermmorfologie en die aantal uur wat per dag sittend deurgebring word, gevind. Hoë aktiwiteitsvlakke is gerapporteer wat nie ʼn verband met spermparameters getoon het nie. Meer as die helfte van die deelnemers het meer as vier ure per dag elektroniese toerusting gebruik wat aan Wi-Fi gekoppel is. ʼn Betekenisvolle verband tussen die gebruik van elektroniese toerusting gekoppel aan Wi-Fi vir vier ure of meer per dag en laer spermmotiliteit is gevind. Geen statisties betekenisvolle verband tussen waar sellulêre telefone gedra word en normale of abnormale spermparameters is aangedui nie. Alhoewel meer as die helfte van die deelnemers aan hierdie studie van ʼn warm bad gebruik gemaak het, is geen betekenisvolle verband gevind tussen die gebruik van ʼn warm bad en spermparameters laer as die verwysingswaardes nie. Meer as ʼn derde van die deelnemers het stywe onderklere of broeke gedra, wat kon bydra tot ʼn toename in skrotale temperatuur en tot swakker semenkwaliteit kan lei. Geen verband is egter gevind tussen die dra van stywe klere en swak spermparameters nie. ʼn Gesonde, gebalanseerde dieet word voorgestel as ʼn ekonomiese manier om spermfunksie te verbeter. Alhoewel die inname van groente en vrugte in hierdie studie onvoldoende was en ʼn rede tot kommer, is geen verband met semenkwaliteit gevind nie. Alkoholinname van meer as vyf eenhede per week is egter betekenisvol in verband gebring met ʼn laer spermkonsentrasie. Supplementasie met ʼn multi-vitamien-mineraal en omega-3-supplement oor ʼn tydperk van 90 dae in ʼn gesonde groep jong mans het nie die vetsuursamestelling van hul semen of meeste van die spermparameters beïnvloed nie, maar het ʼn verbetering in die persentasie sperm met normale vorms tot gevolg gehad. Vir toekomstige studies, word aanbeveel dat ʼn groter steekproef ingesluit word, indien meer hulpbronne beskikbaar is en dat ander geografiese areas van Suid-Afrika ingesluit word, veral aangesien tipiese voedselinname aansienlik kan verskil. Hierdie studie het waardevolle inligting verskaf oor die moontlike negatiewe effek van alkohol en die gebruik van elektroniese toerusting op spermparameters; asook die moontlikheid dat voedingsupplementering spermmorfologie mag verbeter. Hierdie resultate kan gebruik word wanneer mans oor reproduktiewe gesondheid geadviseer word, ten einde spermparameters te verbeter, wat weer die gesondheid van toekomstige generasies kan beïnvloed.enThesis (Ph.D. (Nutrition and Dietetics))--University of the Free State, 2016Semen parametersMicro-nutrientSupplementationLifestyleEnvironmentAnthropometryImpact of micro-nutrient supplementation on semen parametersThesisUniversity of the Free State