Awareness and opinion about polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) among young women: a developing country perspective

Associations between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Antibiotic Use: Results from the UAEHFS

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have a higher susceptibility to infections compared to those without PCOS. Studies evaluating antibiotic use based on PCOS status are scarce. Therefore, we aimed to (i) assess the associations between self-reported PCOS and antibiotic use, and (ii) whether PCOS treatment and the age at PCOS diagnosis modified the associations above. This cross-sectional analysis used the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS) conducted from February 2016 to March 2023 involving 2063 Emirati women aged 18-62 years. We performed ordinal logistic regressions under unadjusted and demographic-health-characteristic-adjusted models to obtain the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to analyze PCOS and antibiotic use. Subgroup analyses were performed by treatment status and age at diagnosis. We found that women with PCOS were 55% more likely to frequently take a course of antibiotics in the past year (aOR 1.55; 95% CI 1.26-1.90). Similar likelihoods were also found among those being treated for PCOS and those without treatment but with a PCOS diagnosis at ≤25 years. Our study suggests that PCOS was associated with an increased use of antibiotics among Emirati women. Understanding the frequent antibiotic use susceptibility among those with PCOS may improve antibiotic use surveillance and promote antibiotic stewardship in these at-risk individuals.

Association between pediatric asthma and adult polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS): a cross-sectional analysis of the UAE healthy future Study (UAEHFS)

Introduction

Asthma and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are linked in several possible ways. To date, there has been no study evaluating whether pediatric asthma is an independent risk factor for adult PCOS. Our study aimed to examine the association between pediatric asthma (diagnosed at 0-19 years) and adult PCOS (diagnosed at ≥20 years). We further assessed whether the aforementioned association differed in two phenotypes of adult PCOS which were diagnosed at 20-25 years (young adult PCOS), and at >25 years (older adult PCOS). We also evaluated whether the age of asthma diagnosis (0-10 vs 11-19 years) modified the association between pediatric asthma and adult PCOS.

Material and methods

This is a retrospective cross-sectional analysis using the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS) collected from February 2016 to April 2022 involving 1334 Emirati females aged 18-49 years. We fitted a Poisson regression model to estimate the risk ratio (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) to assess the association between pediatric asthma and adult PCOS adjusting for age, urbanicity at birth, and parental smoking at birth.

Results

After adjusting for confounding factors and comparing to non-asthmatic counterparts, we found that females with pediatric asthma had a statistically significant association with adult PCOS diagnosed at ≥20 years (RR=1.56, 95% CI: 1.02-2.41), with a stronger magnitude of the association found in the older adult PCOS phenotype diagnosed at >25 years (RR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.16-3.65). Further, we also found females reported thinner childhood body size had a two-fold to three-fold increased risk of adult PCOS diagnosed at ≥20 years in main analysis and stratified analyses by age of asthma and PCOS diagnoses (RR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.08-3.93 in main analysis; RR=2.74, 95% CI: 1.22-6.15 among those diagnosed with PCOS > 25 years; and RR=3.50, 95% CI: 1.38-8.43 among those diagnosed with asthma at 11-19 years).

Conclusions

Pediatric asthma was found to be an independent risk factor for adult PCOS. More targeted surveillance for those at risk of adult PCOS among pediatric asthmatics may prevent or delay PCOS in this at-risk group. Future studies with robust longitudinal designs aimed to elucidate the exact mechanism between pediatric asthma and PCOS are warranted.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome awareness among females in the UAE: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder affecting females of reproductive age. Clinical guidelines recommend following the diagnostic criteria of PCOS based on an appropriate assessment of the patient's clinical presentation. Sufficient awareness among the population will prompt females to seek medical attention when necessary. This study aimed to assess knowledge and awareness about PCOS among females above the age of 18 years in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to correlate the level of awareness with women's backgrounds, demographics, and education levels.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study conducted in early 2020. 430 females over the age of 18 years were conveniently selected and interviewed in the UAE using a 21-item questionnaire that assessed participants' awareness of PCOS as a term, its causes, symptoms, complications, treatment, and prevention. 414 entries were eligible for data analysis. IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 25 was used for data entry and analysis.

RESULTS

349 participants (84.3%) were familiar with the term PCOS. However, only 21.7% of them had sufficient awareness of the syndrome (95% CI = 17.77-25.71%). Being knowledgeable of PCOS was significantly associated with having a previous diagnosis (p = 0.002) and with studying or working in a medical field (p < 0.001). In addition, females who knew someone diagnosed with PCOS were 5 times more likely to be more aware compared to those who didn't (95% CI = 2.5-10.8; p < 0.001). Age, education level, and nationality showed no correlation with the level of awareness.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the level of PCOS awareness was insufficient in the study sample. Participants whose source of information was medical practitioners demonstrated more accurate knowledge. Accordingly, awareness of PCOS needs to be raised among females in the UAE, aiding early diagnosis and improving patient-oriented outcomes.

Current Awareness Status of and Recommendations for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A National Cross-Sectional Investigation of Central Jordan

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive disorder that is related to a number of health issues and has an influence on a variety of metabolic processes. Despite its burden on the health of females, PCOS is significantly underdiagnosed, which is associated with lack of disease knowledge among females. Therefore, we aimed to gauge the awareness of PCOS in both the male and female population in Jordan. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, targeting individuals over the age of 18 from Jordan's central region. Participants were recruited through stratified random sampling. The questionnaire consisted of two domains, including demographics and knowledge of PCOS domains. A total of 1532 respondents participated in this study. The findings revealed that participants have overall adequate knowledge regarding PCOS's risk factors, etiology, clinical presentation, and outcomes. However, participants demonstrated subpar familiarity of the association between PCOS and other comorbidities and the effect of genetics on PCOS. Women had more knowledge than men about PCOS (57.5 ± 6.06 vs. 54.1 ± 6.71, p = 0.019). In addition, older, employed, and higher-income populations showed significantly better knowledge than younger, unemployed, self-employed, and lower-income populations. In conclusion, we demonstrated that Jordanian women demonstrate an acceptable yet incomplete level of knowledge towards PCOS. We recommend establishing educational programs by specialists for the general population as well as medical personnel to spread accurate medical information and clarify common misconceptions about signs, symptoms, management, and treatment of PCOS, and nutritional knowledge.

Awareness of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome among College Going Females in Gurgaon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives Women not only take care of family members they are also source of power and symbol of progress in a society. At the same time, physical and mental well-being of women relies on healthy lifestyle and adequate reproductive health knowledge. With growing incidence of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), it is crucial to increase awareness about the disease among women at an early age in life. The present survey investigates awareness level of college going females about PCOS.

Materials and Methods A total of 428 females were recruited from 3 colleges in district Gurgaon, Haryana, India, based on convenience sampling. The respondents filled a self-completion questionnaire containing questions about sociodemographic details, menstrual cycle details, and questions related to PCOS.

Statistical Analysis Analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0. Descriptive statistics was used to calculate frequency and percentage of variables. Pearson's chi-square test of independence was used to identify factors associated with awareness of PCOS. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results The mean age of respondents was 19.9 ± 1.7 years (range = 18–24 years). Only 78 females (18.22%) had heard about PCOS. Being knowledgeable was significantly associated with mother's education (p = 0.001), length of menstrual cycle (p = 0.022), and family history of PCOS (p < 0.001).

Conclusion The present study indicates awareness of PCOS among college going females was very poor. There is an urgent need of increasing awareness about PCOS among young adult college going females to reduce the prevalence, for early diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. It is also needed to prevent long-term consequences of PCOS.

What can be done to improve polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) healthcare? Insights from semi-structured interviews with women in Canada

BACKGROUND

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common and perplexing condition affecting metabolic, reproductive, cardiovascular, and psychological health in women. Previous studies point to widespread dissatisfaction and frustration in women with the information and care they receive. Studies have found delays with the diagnosis of PCOS and gaps in knowledge in physicians regarding the diagnosis and management of PCOS. Little has been heard from women on what they think can be improved with PCOS care, especially in Canada. This qualitative study explores women's experiences navigating the healthcare system and their insights on what could be improved based on their lived experiences.

METHODS

Twenty-five participants were interviewed remotely over the phone by the first author between October and December 2018.Interviews were semi-structured and in-depth. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and interpretive description methodology.

RESULTS

Twenty-five in-depth interviews conducted with participants across Canada (ages 18-63) revealed three overall areas in need of improvement. First, women emphasized a need for greater knowledge and awareness of PCOS in primary care physicians (PCPs) as well as the need for the medical community to prioritize women's health. Second, participants advocated for greater PCOS awareness and de-stigmatization in the general community and in women and girls, and any individuals with female reproductive systems. Third, participants brought up several needed resources, such as the need for more PCOS research to be funded and undertaken, more PCOS specialists and experts to be available, credible doctor-provided information (e.g., pamphlets, websites), and age-specific support groups and mental health supports to be available. Participants were generally unaware of existing PCOS organizations and brought up the need for established PCOS organizations to aid in the training and retraining of doctors and local awareness-building in communities.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants believed that PCPs in Canada needed to be well-versed on how to diagnose and manage PCOS to prevent delays in diagnosis and provide easier access to care. Further, greater awareness and de-stigmatization in the general community are needed so women can identify symptoms early and have access to support from those around them. Overall, PCOS may be an overlooked and under-prioritized condition, both in the Canadian healthcare system and general community.