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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Ann Natl Acad Med Sci 2022; 58(03): 149-156
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1750359
Original Article

Awareness of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome among College Going Females in Gurgaon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Renuka Jakhar
1   School of Medical and Allied Sciences, G. D. Goenka University, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
,
Elina Dewanji Sen
1   School of Medical and Allied Sciences, G. D. Goenka University, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
,
Rohit Dutt
1   School of Medical and Allied Sciences, G. D. Goenka University, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
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Abstract

Objectives Women not only take care of family members, they are also source of power and symbol of progress in a society. At the same time, physical and mental well-being of women relies on healthy lifestyle and adequate reproductive health knowledge. With growing incidence of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), it is crucial to increase awareness about the disease among women at an early age in life. The present survey investigates awareness level of college going females about PCOS.

Materials and Methods 428 females were recruited from 3 colleges in district Gurgaon, Haryana, India, based on convenience sampling. The respondents filled a self-completion questionnaire containing sociodemographic details, menstrual cycle details, and questions related to PCOS.

Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics was used to calculate frequency and percentage of variables. Pearson's chi-square test of independence was used to identify factors associated with awareness of PCOS. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results The mean ±SD age of respondents was 19.9 ± 1.7 years (range = 18–24 years). Only 78 females (18.22%) had heard about PCOS. Being knowledgeable was significantly associated with mother's education (p = 0.001), length of menstrual cycle (p = 0.022), and family history of PCOS (p < 0.001).

Conclusion The present study indicates awareness of PCOS among college going females was very poor. There is an urgent need of increasing awareness about PCOS among young adult college going females not only for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of the disease but also to prevent its long-term consequences.

Keywords

polycystic ovarian syndrome - infertility - menstrual irregularities - hirsutism - anxiety - awareness

Prior Presentation

This study was virtually presented at the 4th International Conference on Multi-Disciplinary Research Studies and Education (ICMDRSE 2021), 29-30 June, 2021, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


Ethical Approval

This survey was reviewed and approved by Research Ethical Committee at School of Medical and Allied Sciences, G. D. Goenka University (GDGU/SoMAS/REC/Approvals/2020/01).


Author Contributions

R.J. contributed in the conception of survey, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and drafted the manuscript. E.D.S. revised it critically for intellectual content. R.D. read and approved the final manuscript.




Publication History

Article published online:
27 June 2022

© 2022. National Academy of Medical Sciences (India). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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