Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Prevalence, Predisposing Factors, and Awareness Among Adolescent and Young Girls of South India

Introduction Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a leading cause of infertility among women throughout the world. PCOS is an endocrine abnormality that presents as hyperandrogenemia, anovulation, and/or polycystic ovaries. The exact causes of PCOS are not entirely understood. However, PCOS may be hereditary and associated with abnormalities such as high body mass index (BMI) and obesity, among others. This study is carried out to assess the prevalence and awareness among adolescents and young girls belonging to South India. Methods This was a prospective study that included 250 adolescent and young girls aged between 13 and 25 years. Demographic details including age, educational status, and family income were collected from all the participants after obtaining informed consent. BMI was measured in all the participants. A pre-test was conducted to assess the level of awareness followed by a 30-minute informative briefing on PCOS. All participants were asked to fill up a post-briefing questionnaire. The data collected were processed using statistical software SPSS 11.0, and the chi-square test was applied to find out the significance of the results. Results Of the total 250 participants included, the mean age was 16.96 years and most participants (78%) belonged to the age group of 13 to 19 years. Most (78%) of the study participants had normal BMI (18-24.9 kg/m(2)), 17.6% were underweight (BMI < 18), and 4.4% were overweight (BMI > 25). A PCOS prevalence rate of 6.8% was noted among the study participants. A majority (78.4%) of the study participants were unaware of PCOS, and 6.8% were being treated for PCOS. The source of knowledge of PCOS was majorly teachers (37%), followed by doctors (31.5%), the internet (11%), and friends (7.5%). Lack of information and publicity (63%) were found to be the most significant reason for low levels of awareness. Conclusion PCOS is a common health problem among adolescents and young girls. Most study participants were unaware of the symptoms and management of the condition. Therefore, the disease burden noted in this study does not necessarily depict the real prevalence. Increasing awareness programs will facilitate improved understanding, increased diagnoses, and effective management of PCOS.