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The Role of Nutrition in Female Reproductive and Hormonal Health...
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The Role of Nutrition in Female Reproductive and Hormonal Health Across the Lifecourse

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition in Women".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 April 2026 | Viewed by 585

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Patricia M. Heavey

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
SHE (Sport, Health & Exercise) Research Centre, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Athlone, Ireland
Interests: nutrition; dietary intake; menopause; women health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which focuses on “The Role of Nutrition in Female Reproductive and Hormonal Health Across the Lifecourse”.

Women experience hormonal changes at the onset of puberty, during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, lactation, and throughout the transition from pre-menopause to peri-menopause to post-menopause, with each stage having unique nutritional needs.

This Special Issue aims to expand our understanding of the interplay between reproductive health and nutritional status, its impact on quality of life, and health outcomes. More tailored nutrition and lifestyle interventions are required to support women’s reproductive and hormonal health more effectively.

We look forward to receiving high-quality submissions that advance our understanding of nutrition and its role in women’s health.

Dr. Patricia M. Heavey
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dietary intake
  • nutrition
  • micronutrients
  • vitamins
  • folic acid
  • omega-3 fatty acids
  • estrogen metabolism
  • reproductive health
  • menstruation
  • menopause
  • pregnant women
  • lactation
  • puberty
  • health outcomes

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 295 KB  
Article
Nutrient Intake and Menopausal Symptoms in Perimenopausal Women
by Miriam Bernadette Murphy, Geraldine Cuskelly and Patricia Heavey
Nutrients 2025, 17(24), 3887; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17243887 - 12 Dec 2025
Viewed by 91
Abstract
Background/Objective: Perimenopause, the final years of a woman’s reproductive life, may be symptomatic, affecting health and wellbeing. Lifestyle factors, such as diet, may alleviate these symptoms and improve health. Understanding nutrient intake at this stage of life is critical for tailoring dietary recommendations. [...] Read more.
Background/Objective: Perimenopause, the final years of a woman’s reproductive life, may be symptomatic, affecting health and wellbeing. Lifestyle factors, such as diet, may alleviate these symptoms and improve health. Understanding nutrient intake at this stage of life is critical for tailoring dietary recommendations. This study investigated the nutrient intake of perimenopausal women in relation to adult guidelines and explored the associations between nutrients and symptoms. Methods: Irish perimenopausal women were recruited (>40 years old). Participants reported symptom severity via the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS). They completed a 4-day food diary along with a physical activity (PA) and demographic questionnaire. Hierarchal multiple regression was used to test the relationship between MRS and nutrients. A one-sample t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare nutrient intake to the guidelines. Results: Participants (n = 63) had a mean age of 47.8 ± 3.5 years, a body mass index (BMI) of 27.0 ± 3.9 kg/m2 and an overall MRS score of 13.5 ± 6.9. Participants were not meeting dietary reference values (DRVs) for most nutrients, with intakes significantly below guidelines for fibre (p < 0.001), total vitamin D (p = 0.031), calcium (p < 0.001), and iron (p < 0.001), and exceeding guidelines for saturated fat (p < 0.001). Hierarchal multiple regression models (adjusted for BMI, age, marital status, and PA) showed that Vitamin E intake was a predictor of a higher urogenital sub-score (β = 0.405, p < 0.001). Conclusions: There was variable adherence amongst midlife women to dietary guidelines, which may impact on both current and future health status. Public health initiatives are required to address this. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutrition in Female Reproductive and Hormonal Health Across the Lifecourse)
20 pages, 2118 KB  
Article
FFQ-NutriForHer: Reproducibility and Validity of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire for Young and Older Women
by Maria Karolina Szmidt, Ewa Sicinska, Olga Januszko and Joanna Kaluza
Nutrients 2025, 17(24), 3811; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17243811 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 294
Abstract
Background: Despite the growing interest in the relationship of diet and women’s health conditions, a limited number of Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) have been specifically developed and/or validated for use among women, and those that exist have been primarily developed and validated [...] Read more.
Background: Despite the growing interest in the relationship of diet and women’s health conditions, a limited number of Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) have been specifically developed and/or validated for use among women, and those that exist have been primarily developed and validated in non-European countries. This study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of the FFQ-NutriForHer among young and older Polish women. Methods: The reproducibility and validity of the 138-item FFQ-NutriForHer were evaluated in 121 young (18–30 years) and 88 older women (70–90 years). Reproducibility was assessed using energy-adjusted Pearson and intraclass correlation coefficients (PCCs, ICCs) from two FFQ administrations. Validity was evaluated by comparing energy-adjusted and de-attenuated PCCs between FFQ-mean and 3-day dietary records. The Bland–Altman method estimated mean differences and limits of agreement. Results: The mean PCCs and ICCs for macronutrient reproducibility were 0.69 ± 0.12 and 0.69 ± 0.11 among young women and 0.67 ± 0.06 and 0.65 ± 0.11 among older women, respectively, indicating moderate correlation and reliability in both groups. For micronutrients, the mean PCCs were 0.72 ± 0.05 among young women and 0.69 ± 0.05 among older women, while ICCs were 0.71 ± 0.05 and 0.69 ± 0.09, respectively, indicating a good and moderate correlation and moderate reliability. Mean PCCs for macronutrient validity indicated good concordance with values of 0.51 ± 0.25 among young women and 0.46 ± 0.13 among older women. For micronutrients, the mean PCC for validity was 0.63 ± 0.13 among young women and 0.44 ± 0.14 among older women. Bland–Altman analysis indicated good overall agreement between methods in both groups. Conclusions: Given its high reproducibility and satisfactory validity in both age groups, the FFQ-NutriForHer is a reliable tool for assessing dietary intake and exploring its links to women’s health across different ages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutrition in Female Reproductive and Hormonal Health Across the Lifecourse)
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