Enhancing awareness of risk factors for polycystic ovarian syndrome: The critical need for attention among adolescents and parents in coastal Karnataka, India.

Background: Despite its high prevalence (6% and 26%), PCOS is undiagnosed and thus takes longer to identify. Objective: To assess knowledge about the risk factors of polycystic ovary syndrome among healthcare professional students and to identify the association between demographic data and the knowledge scores concerning the risk factors for polycystic ovarian syndrome. Design and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 400 female healthcare professional students from Udupi Taluk, South India. The participants were recruited through a simple random technique. The baseline data and knowledge of risk factors for PCOS were measured using a validated and retested structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 16. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 20.31 ± 1.37 years. The study demonstrated that 18.8% were overweight, 11.3% were suffering from PCOS, and 11.3% had a family history of PCOS. Approximately 75.5% of the participants had an average knowledge of PCOS, and 2.3% had poor knowledge. Sixty-six percent of the participants were not aware that dietary practices influence PCOS, various risk factors (66%), preventive measures (83.5%), risks associated with pregnancy due to PCOS (81.2%), measures to control the complications of PCOS (66.2%), complications of PCOS (57.5%), and the type of food used as a risk factor for PCOS (55%). Conclusions: Adolescents and young women are not very aware of various risk factors, complications, and measures to control the complications of PCOS. Periodic screening and successful awareness programs will facilitate improved understanding, increased diagnosis, and effective management of PCOS.