Association Between the Food Security Status and Dietary Patterns With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in Overweight and Obese Iranian Women: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as one of the major types of endocrine disorders is common among women worldwide. Frequently reported that food insecurity (FI) and unhealthy diets can exert negative effects on reproductive health. There are contradictory results on optimal lifestyle modification especially dietary components with PCOS. This paper aimed to assess the association between PCOS with food security status and dietary patterns of overweight and obese Iranian women. Methods This case-control study was performed on 240 overweight and obese adult women with PCOS (n = 120) and without PCOS (n = 120) referred to the infertility clinic of Arash Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Participants' data on anthropometry, scio-economic factors, and physical activity were collected. Food security status and dietary intakes were assessed by validated questionnaires. Results The prevalence of FI was 60% in women with PCOS and 30% in healthy women. There was a positive association between the risk of PCOS with FI, quasi-western dietary pattern, low economic level, waist circumference, and menstrual age and a negative association between physical activity and healthy dietary pattern with this risk even after controlling the potential confounders (P < 0.05). PCOS women had a higher intake of saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, oleic acid, fluorine, sucrose, and caffeine and a lower intake of vitamins A, B5, B6, B12, C, and D, potassium, proteins, carbohydrates, cholesterols, docosahexaenoic acid, potassium, carotenes, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, tetra- and dihydrofolate, biotin, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, total, insoluble, and crude fiber, glucose, galactose, fructose, and lactose compared to the healthy group (P < 0.05). Conclusions FI, quasi-western dietary pattern, low economic status, and waist circumference were significantly associated with the higher risk of PCOS. Modifying lifestyle especially in dietary patterns may be an important strategy for the reduction of PCOS. Future prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings and to identify the underlying mechanisms.

A Comparison of Eating Attitudes, Diet Quality, and Nutrition Knowledge in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

“…PCOS is characterized by the most common symptom such as ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenemia, and/or polycystic ovaries. [1] In addition to insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism, women with PCOS also have an increase in obesity and visceral adiposity. [2,3] For women with PCOS and overweight, increasing adipose tissue complicates the disease and it becomes more complex, one of them is the tendency to the body weight gaining.…”