Awareness of egg freezing in Saudi Arabia
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN84083580 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN84083580 |
- Submission date
- 12/04/2024
- Registration date
- 17/04/2024
- Last edited
- 24/03/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Pregnancy and Childbirth
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
The number of women who desire fertility at an advanced age is increasing; however, the fertility rate among women has declined over the last two decades. Various assisted reproductive technologies have emerged globally in medical care to assist women of advanced maternal age seeking pregnancy. Oocyte cryopreservation enables women to freeze their eggs at an earlier age for potential future use. This study aims to collect the perspectives of women living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia regarding egg freezing.
Who can participate?
Women aged 18–47 years who had their eggs frozen at the center between 01/01/2019 and 01/08/2022 for social and medical reasons
What does the study involve?
A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 100 women attending a private clinic at the Thuriah Medical Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who underwent oocyte cryopreservation for various reasons. Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face or via teleconference among 15 women who expressed interest in participating in the recorded interviews, which lasted between 11 and 25 minutes.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Not provided at time of registration
Where is the study run from?
Thuraih (Saudi Arabia)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2019 to June 2023
Who is funding the study?
King Fahad Medical City (Saudi Arabia)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Fatimah Alzahrani, Dr.fatimah2013@gmail.com
Contact information
Principal Investigator
Riyadh, KSA
Riyadh
-
Saudi Arabia
 ORCID ID |
0009-0009-4107-9927 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +966 (0)531263571 |
| dr.fatimah2013@gmail.com |
Public, Scientific, Principal Investigator
Riyadh, KSA
Riyadh
-
Saudi Arabia
| Phone | +966 (0)504435931 |
|---|---|
| daljaroudi@kfmc.med.sa |
Study information
| Study design | Mixed-methods study |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Observational |
| Secondary study design | Mixed methods study |
| Study setting(s) | Community, Hospital, Internet/virtual |
| Study type | Other, Quality of life |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Knowledge and attitudes of women toward oocyte freezing at a private medical center in Saudi Arabia: a mixed-methods study |
| Study objectives | What are the perspectives of women living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia regarding egg freezing? |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 02/11/2022, King Fahad Medical City (Riyadh, SA, Riyadh, 11525, Saudi Arabia; +966 (0)112889999; hsakkijha@kfmc.med.sa), ref: FWA00018774 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Oocyte freezing |
| Intervention | This sequentially designed mixed-methods study was conducted at the Al Thuriah Medical Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The women included in this study were aged 18–47 years and had their oocytes frozen at the center between 01/01/2019 and 01/08/2022 for social and medical reasons. The participants were recruited from 01/12/2022 to 29/06/2023. Patients were contacted using their phone numbers from documents and records to obtain their permission to participate in the study. To acquire insight into the various viewpoints, deliberate sampling was performed to include participants with the greatest variance in age, location, social position, and number of cryopreserved oocytes. The primary researcher contacted the women in person, by phone, or using WhatsApp to determine their interest in the study. Women who refused to participate in the study due to time constraints, emotional issues, religious beliefs, or lack of interest or response, were excluded. Of the 15 women who participated, 10 were approached face-to-face in various locations, four were interviewed in the hospital, and one was interviewed at a coffee shop. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Thuriah Institutional Review Board and King Fahad Medical City before the commencement of the study (Protocol No. 22-256E). Each participant was provided information regarding the study, and informed written consent was obtained from all participants. Confidentiality of patient information was maintained. Quantitative data processing: The Freezing Oocyte Questionnaire was initially developed in English and later translated into Arabic. The questionnaire, comprising six questions, was constructed based on previously published research and was translated into Arabic before distribution (Lallemant et al., 2016). The first part recorded the demographic information of the participants, such as age, nationality, area of residence, occupation, and social status. The second part included six multiple-choice questions to assess their knowledge about freezing oocytes, such as indications for egg freezing, techniques used, and potential complications. Parts three, four, and five recorded the medical, social, and ethical reasons associated with egg freezing, respectively. The final section included direct questions about oocyte freezing and its future applications. A univariate analysis was performed to provide an overview of the findings. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21 for Windows (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Qualitative data processing: Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face or via teleconferencing. The interviews lasted between 11 and 25 min each. The data obtained were analyzed using thematic analysis, which was performed in phases. The first stage of data familiarization involved the transcription of data and the writing of notes on early concepts. In the second stage, the initial codes were produced by employing open codes for important traits across the dataset. The third stage involved creating themes by categorizing the codes into groups based on similarities in meaning. Overarching patterns were also observed. The co-investigators evaluated, reviewed, and refined the themes during the fourth phase. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | 1. Patient satisfaction with oocyte freezing measured using the Freezing Oocyte Questionnaire at a single timepoint 2. Patient satisfaction with oocyte freezing measured using patient interviews at a single timepoint |
| Secondary outcome measures | There are no secondary outcome measures |
| Overall study start date | 01/01/2019 |
| Completion date | 29/06/2023 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Mixed |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Upper age limit | 47 Years |
| Sex | Female |
| Target number of participants | 100 |
| Total final enrolment | 100 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Women aged 18–47 years 2. Had their oocytes frozen at the center between 01/01/2019 and 01/08/2022 for social and medical reasons |
| Key exclusion criteria | Women who refused to participate in the study due to time constraints, emotional issues, religious beliefs, or lack of interest or response |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/12/2022 |
| Date of final enrolment | 29/06/2023 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Saudi Arabia
Study participating centre
Riyadh
-
Saudi Arabia
Sponsor information
Hospital/treatment centre
Mecca Road
Riyadh
-
Saudi Arabia
| Phone | +966 (0)11 407 9999 |
|---|---|
| salshehri@thuriah.com.sa | |
| Website | http://thuriah.com/ |
Funders
Funder type
Government
Government organisation / National government
- Alternative name(s)
- King Fahad Medical City Research Center, KFMC
- Location
- Saudi Arabia
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 29/06/2024 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned publication in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study will be available upon request from Dr Fatimah Alzahrani (Dr.fatimah2013@gmail.com) |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | 22/03/2025 | 24/03/2025 | Yes | No |
Editorial Notes
24/03/2025: Publication reference added.
17/04/2024: Study's existence confirmed by King Fahad Medical City.
