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

Abstract

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.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Lifestyle Modifications Among Saudi Women Diagnosed With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

“…The relationship between knowledge about PCOS and various demographic factors, such as age, educational level, marital status, nationality, and BMI, did not significantly impact PCOS knowledge. This finding contrasts with previous research indicating that education level could influence PCOS knowledge [ 17 ]. However, participants with PCOS diagnosis exhibited significantly higher knowledge levels, suggesting that awareness campaigns should target both diagnosed and undiagnosed individuals.…”

Awareness of polycystic ovarian syndrome in adolescents: A cross-sectional study

“…(Figure 4) Most participants agreed that a fiber-rich diet helps prevent PCOS while 128 participants selected meditation and 109 participants chose weight loss. (Table 4) 6), 2(1-3), 2(0-2), 2(1-3) and 11 (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) respectively. (Table 5, Figure 7) All in all, 76.15% of participants fell under the non-aware group compared to only 23.85% of participants who demonstrated good awareness (>60%) (Figure 8)…”

“…For statistical significance, p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study of Balkis Zaitoun, et al [8] observed that 21.7% of participants had sufficient awareness of the syndrome. Taking this value as reference, the minimum required sample size with 5.5% margin of error and 5% level of significance is 216 participants.…”

“…Zaitoun B. et al found PCOS awareness was only 21.74%. A majority of their participants, (74.1%) had achieved higher education, in addition to nearly half of them working or studying in the medical field [8] . They observed an association between being in the medical field and awareness about PCOS symptoms and complications.…”

Prevalence, Knowledge and Awareness of polycystic ovary syndrome: A study among the Bengali speaking Hindus and Muslims of Kolkata, West Bengal

“…Thus, there is a lack of understanding regarding PCOS due to cultural taboos and stigmas around discussing menstruation or female reproductive health concerns in an open manner. More similar kind of study also found that most of the participants had poor knowledge and health-related practices toward PCOS [22,[42][43][44][45][46][47].…”