Endometriosis, a chronic disease characterized by recurrent pelvic pain and infertility, severely impacts the health and life quality of many women worldwide. Since phytoestrogens are commonly found in a variety of foods, and estrogen is a major pathological factor for the pathogenesis of endometriosis, their possible involvement cannot be ignored. This review summarizes data on the relationship between phytoestrogen intake and endometriosis risk, and analyzes the findings from in vitro experiments, rodent endometriotic models, and human intervention trials. While favorable results were often obtained from endometrial primary cultures and animal models for resveratrol, isoflavones and puerarin, only resveratrol showed promising results in human intervention trials. Critical issues concerning the current study efforts are discussed: the possible reasons beneath the discrepant observations of estrogenic/anti-estrogenic effects by phytoestrogens; the complicated interplays between phytoestrogens and endogenous estrogens; the shortage of currently used animal models; the necessity to apply reasonable doses of phytoestrogens in experiments. It is expected that the analyses would help to more properly assess the phytoestrogens’ effects on the endometriosis pathogenesis and their potential values for preventive or therapeutic applications.

Background: Obesity and psychological factors were identified as risk factors for female infertility. The study investigated the correlation between WWI, depression, and secondary infertility, focusing on the potential mediating role of depression.Methods: According to the data from NHANES, this cross-sectional study used multiple regression analysis, subgroup analysis, and smooth curve fitting to explore the relationship between WWI, depression, and secondary infertility. The diagnostic ability of WWI was evaluated and compared to other obesity indicators using the ROC curve. The mediating effect test adopted the distribution of the product.Results: This study involved 2778 participants, including 381 (13.7%) women with secondary infertility. Results showed that higher WWI (OR = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.11-1.56) and depression scores (OR = 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06) were associated with secondary infertility. There was a positive correlation between WWI and secondary infertility (nonlinear p = 0.8272) and this association was still consistent in subgroups (all P for interaction> 0.05). Compared with other obesity indicators, WWI (AUC = 0.588) also shows good predictive performance for secondary infertility. Mediation analysis showed that depression mediated the relationship between 3.94% of WWI and secondary infertility, with a confidence interval of Z_a * Z_b excluding 0.Conclusion: WWI exhibited a relatively good correlation in predicting secondary infertility than other obesity indicators, and depression may be a mediator between WWI and secondary infertility. Focusing on the potential mediating role of depression, the risk of secondary infertility due to obesity may be beneficially reduced in women.

Background: Childbirth readiness is an important component of maternal and child health. Therefore, it is imperative to understand identify the factors influencing childbirth readiness to develop interventions for improving women's wellbeing. In the current digital age, it is crucial to explore the link between eHealth literacy and childbirth readiness. However, few studies have investigated this relationship. Here, we explored the effect of eHealth literacy on childbirth readiness and examined the mediating role of self-efficacy in this relationship.Methods: A total of 350 third-trimester pregnant women were enrolled in this survey from April to June 2023 at the outpatient departments of the Affiliated Women's Hospital of Jiangnan University, China. Four questionnaires were used to collect data from participants: the General Information Questionnaire, eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Childbirth Readiness Scale (CRS). The associations among variables were determined through Pearson correlation analysis, and the Amos 26.0 software was employed to analyze the mediating role of self-efficacy.Results: A total of 350 surveys were distributed to the participants, and 338 eligible questionnaires were finally collected, translating to a response rate of 96.57%. The average score of participants was 27.39 ± 6.40 on the GSES, 32.15 ± 6.16 on the eHEALS, and 74.26 ± 8.81 on the CRS. The eHEALS scores exhibited a strong positive association with self-efficacy (r = 0.509, P < 0.01), which in turn was positively correlated with childbirth readiness (r = 0.505, P < 0.01). Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between eHealth literacy and childbirth readiness, accounting for 33.02% of the total effect.Conclusions: E-health literacy is a positive predictor of childbirth readiness among pregnant women, with self-efficacy mediating the association. These findings provide a basis for developing targeted interventions to improve childbirth readiness.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and preference for cesarean section, and to explore whether fear of childbirth mediates the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and preference for cesarean section. Methods: A total of 310 pregnant women in the third trimester who attended outpatient clinics at Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital from July to September 2024 were included in this study. The survey instruments used included a Sociodemographic Information Questionnaire, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12, and the Fear of Birth Scale. Mediation analysis was conducted using R 4.4.3 software. Results: A total of 310 surveys were distributed to participants, and ultimately 290 eligible questionnaires were collected, resulting in a response rate of 93.55%. The prevalence of cesarean section preference among participants was 20.69%. The mean score for intolerance of uncertainty was 30.94 ± 7.13, and the mean score for fear of childbirth was 51.50 ± 23.32. This study shows that intolerance of uncertainty and fear of childbirth are both positively associated with a preference for cesarean section. Fear of childbirth mediates the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and preference for cesarean section. Conclusions: Intolerance of uncertainty is a positive predictor of preference for cesarean section, and fear of childbirth mediates this association. These findings provide a basis for developing targeted interventions to reduce rates of unnecessary cesarean sections.

Previous studies have shown an association between obesity and uterine fibroids (UF). Body roundness index (BRI) is an anthropometric measure associated with obesity. However, the association with UF has not been thoroughly elucidated, and further investigation is required to explore the possible link. Our study investigated the possible link between BRI and UF in women aged 20 to 44 years, with a view to providing effective scientific evidence for health management and disease prevention in this population. This cross-sectional study analysis included data from 4043 women of childbearing age from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database 1999–2006.We applied multiple regression analysis to study the association between BRI and UF, subgroup analysis was used to ensure broad applicability and representativeness of conclusions, and finally linear correlation between BRI and UF was explored by smooth curve fitting. This study involved 4,043 female participants aged 20–44 years, of whom 331 (8.19%) had fibroids. After controlling for all potential confounders, each additional unit of BRI increased the prevalence of UF by 7% (OR = 1.07,95% CI: 1.01,1.12), Sensitivity analysis by dividing BRI into four groups found a 54% increase in the prevalence of UF within the fourth quartile (Q4) of BRI compared with the first quartile (Q1) of BRI (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.08, 2.20).The link between BRI and UF maintained in subgroup analyses. Furthermore, the study showed a linear positive correlation between BRI and the probability of UF prevalence. Higher levels of BRI may be linked to a higher prevalence of UF, according to studies conducted on American women of childbearing age. The study’s conclusions highlight how important BRI is for managing and preventing UF.

Childbirth readiness is an important strategy in maternal and child health. Current research on the factors influencing childbirth readiness has focused pr