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

Balkis Zaitoun, Abdullah Al Kubaisi, Noora AlQattan, Yahya Alassouli, Alshaima Mohammad, Huriya Alameeri & Ghada Mohammed 

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.