FAAST
Project Title: FAAST – An intervention model for the prevention of infertility in healthy adolescents living in highly polluted areas
Duration of the project:March 2017 – September 2019
Main Topic
A randomized controlled trial on the effects of lifestyle (mediterranean diet profile and physical activity) changes on semen quality in healthy young men living in highly polluted areas.
Objective
To demonstrate that lifestyle changes can affect sperm quality parameters (spermiogram, blood and semen epigenetics, semen redox status, semen trace elements and PSA secretion) in young adults and thus be a useful primary prevention tool for maintaining male reproductive health.
Type of study
Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT)
Title of WP or Activity on inequalities
To implement an integrated prevention model based on educational-behavioral and nutritional lifestyle changes, re-launching the Mediterranean diet model for the prevention of male infertility starting from adolescence – WP3
WP/Activity Summary
The lifestyle intervention will take place after the recruitment of healthy young adult males (aged 18-22) and the administration of questionnaires on eating habits (EPIC Food Frequency Questionnaire / FFQ) and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire / IPAQ). The subjects recruited, divided by randomization into a control group and an intervention group (subjected to educational-behavioral intervention through motivational counseling and the elaboration of a personalized nutritional and physical activity plan), are examined for the semen quality parameters at time 0 (recruitment), at 4 months (end of 4-mo. educational-behavioral intervention) and at 8 months (short-term follow-up).
Expected results
To observe an improvement in semen quality parameters in the subjects assigned to the intervention group compared to the control group.
Responsible of the project: Luigi Montano (project coordinator and unit responsible) (luigimontano@gmail.com), Francesco Donato (project unit responsible) (francesco.donato@iss.it), Stefano Lorenzetti (project unit responsible) (stefano.lorenzetti@iss.it)
Responsabile of the WP/Activity on inequalities: Stefano Lorenzetti (project unit responsible) (stefano.lorenzetti@iss.it)
Department/Center: Dpt. of Food safety, nutrition and veterinary public health
Project website: http://www.ecofoodfertility.it/il-progetto/progetto-faast