Evaluation of Prevalence of PCOS and Associated Depression, Nutrition, and Family History: A Questionnaire-based Assessment

CONTEXT: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition affecting women in the prime of reproductive age. The symptoms include infertility, amenorrhea, hirsutism, obesity, and androgenic alopecia. It is a socially stigmatizing condition and is often associated with depression, poor mental health, and quality of life. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: We carried out a questionnaire based cross sectional study that assessed the prevalence of PCOS, collected information on the nutritional and life style related factors. A questionnaire was used to collect information with an intention to assess the prevalence of PCOS and to understand the contribution of life style/nutrition to the risk of PCOS. Student’s t test and Z proportion test were used to assess significance and a ‘p’ value of ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 972 females completed the questionnaire (mean age:24.37±8.37 years). Majority were from Telangana (n=823;84.67%) and students (690;70.98%). The mean weight was 60.58±13.03 kg and height was 1.78±2.56 m. Sizeable proportion reported irregular menstrual cycle (n=289;29.73%), that they get easily depressed: 283/972 (29.11%), low self-esteem:242/972 (24.90%), insomnia:223/972 (22.94%). A higher proportion of females were diabetic (8/243;3.29%Vs.10/706;1.42%;p=0.02) and non-vegetarian (69/243;28.40%Vs.119/706;16.86%;p=0.0002). No difference in the consumption of processed/fast food, carbonated drinks and lifestyle were noted. A significantly (p=0.0001) higher proportion of females had a positive family history (32/243;13.17%Vs.26/706;3.68%). CONCLUSION: Higher prevalence of PCOS was noted in young female population. Identifying at-risk individuals and imparting life style, nutrition-based modifications would be beneficial. Furthermore, regular counseling sessions might help tackle depression leading to a better overall physical and mental health.