AUTHOR=Fu Yu , Peng Mengling , Cai He , Li Bing , Zhang Yaoting , Zheng Yang 

TITLE=Association between dietary index for gut microbiota and female infertility: a cross-sectional NHANES 2013–2020

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1587240

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2025.1587240

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=BackgroundThe relationship between the gut microbiota and infertility has garnered increasing attention. However, the associations between dietary index for gut microbiota (DI-GM), an indicator of microbial diversity, and infertility remain insufficiently explored.MethodsWe analyzed data from 3,058 participants in the NHANES 2013–2020 cycles, employing weighted generalized linear models and smooth curve analyses to examine their associations. Mediation analysis was conducted to assess the role of body mass index (BMI).ResultsAfter adjusting for confounding factors, a higher DI-GM score was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of infertility (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.81–0.98, p = 0.029). Compared with individuals with a DI-GM score of 0–3, those with a score ≥6 presented a significantly lower prevalence of infertility (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.43–0.96, p = 0.039). BMI mediated 5.98% of the association between DI-GM and infertility.ConclusionA higher DI-GM score is associated with a lower prevalence of infertility. Future studies should employ longitudinal designs to validate these findings.