Obesity management in polycystic ovary syndrome: disparity in knowledge between obstetrician-gynecologists and reproductive endocrinologists in China

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and contributes substantially to metabolic abnormalities in women with PCOS. The study aimed to describe and compare the practices of physicians in the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of obesity in patients with PCOS. METHODS: Reproductive endocrinologists (Repro-Endo) and obstetrician-gynecologists (non-reproductive medicine specialty, OB-Gyn) in China participated in a survey, and their responses were analyzed using χ(2) tests, Fisher exact tests, and multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The study analyzed 1318 survey responses (85.8% OB-Gyn; 97.3% women). Body mass index was the most common diagnostic criterion for obesity; only 1.3% of participants measured waist circumference to identify abdominal obesity. More Repro-Endo participants (25% of all participants) enquired about the psychological problems of patients with obesity than OB-Gyn participants, and 42.5% of participants reported ordering both a lipid profile and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for patients with obesity and PCOS. Multivariable analysis, that included physician’s specialty, age, hospital grade, and number of patients with PCOS seen annually, revealed that OB-Gyn participants were less likely to order OGTT (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2–0.4) and lipid profile (OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1–0.3) than Repro-Endo participants. The most common treatments for patients with PCOS were lifestyle modification (> 95%) and metformin (> 80%). More Repro-Endo participants prescribed metformin at a dose of 1.5 g/day compared with OB-Gyn (47.6% vs. 26.3%), and more OB-Gyn participants reported being unclear about the appropriate dosage of metformin for patients with obesity and PCOS (8.9% vs. 1.6%). CONCLUSION: Our survey identified knowledge gaps in metabolic screening for patients with obesity and PCOS and a disparity in the evaluation and treatment of obesity in PCOS among different specialties. Similarly, it highlights the need to improve obesity management education for physicians caring for women with PCOS. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12902-021-00848-w.