Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Jan 19, 2026
Date Accepted: Jul 13, 2026
Mapping the global evidence on environmental and climatic factors linked to human fertility-related outcomes: A scoping review protocol
ABSTRACT
Background:
Concerns regarding the rapid decline in fertility rates are growing across diverse global regions, underscoring a complex interplay between demographic trends and reproductive health challenges. While these shifts reflect broader societal transitions, infertility persists as a significant contributor to reproductive morbidity at both the individual and population levels. In addition to well-recognized biological factors such as ovulatory dysfunction, diminished ovarian reserve, tubal and uterine pathology, and male factor infertility, there is increasing recognition of environmental and climatic influences as critical determinants of fertility. Objectives: This review is designed to systematically map the global evidence linking environmental and climatic exposures to infertility and elucidate key exposure-outcome relationships.
Methods:
The review will follow the methodological steps outlined by Arksey and O’Malley and utilize the Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework recommended by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) to define eligibility criteria. Eligible studies will include women of reproductive age, adult men, couples attempting conception, and children aged 10-14 years. Studies assessing associations between any environmental exposure plausibly affecting human reproductive function and any fertility-related outcome (e.g., clinical pregnancy, time-to-pregnancy, birth rate, or total fertility rate, etc.) will be included. A comprehensive search will be conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane. Independent reviewers will screen, extract and appraise studies using Covidence and standardized tools. Discussion: This review will map the breadth and depths of evidence on environmental and climatic exposures investigated in relation to human fertility. By organizing the fragmented evidence and highlighting priority exposure-outcome pairs, this review will inform future research directions and support evidence-based policy and clinical practice at the intersection of environmental health, climate change, and human reproductive health. Scoping review registration: Protocol for present scoping review is registered on Open Science Framework (osf.io/7tu9s; embargoed until February, 2026).
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