effects of social support and self-regulation on changes in exercise behavior among infertile women: a cross-sectional study for comparison of external and internal factors

Background: exercise behavior (eb) has a significant impact on infertility, but the magnitude of the effect is not easily determined. this study aimed to assess the effect of social support and self-regulation, as external and internal factors, on changes in eb among infertile women. methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted on 483 infertile women in sanandaj (iran) in 2020. samples were recruited from 35 comprehensive healthcare centers by convenience sampling. standardized face-to-face interviews were conducted using valid and reliable instruments for the assessment of eb, social support, and self-regulation. the association between eb, social support, and self-regulation was evaluated by logistic regression models. results: the majority of the participants (56.7%) had secondary infertility, while 70.8% of them did not perform any exercise. self-regulation and social support were significantly higher in women with secondary infertility than in those with primary infertility (p<0.01). self-regulation was significantly lower in women whose height was below 160 centimeters (p<0.05). social support was significantly higher among participants aged≥35 years and weighing≥60 kg (p<0.01). the odds of eb adoption increased with self-regulation and social support (odds ratio [or]=1.05, 95% ci=1.02-1.09, p<0.01; or=1.06, 95% ci=1.02-1.11, p<0.01). conclusion: social support and self-regulation almost equally influenced eb in infertile women. in future research, designing support and consultation programs can be considered to encourage infertile women to exercise.