Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward premature ovarian insufficiency: a cross-sectional study among women of childbearing age.

Background: Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a significant public health concern, and its early identification in young women is paramount. This study investigated the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward POI among women of childbearing age (WOCBA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among WOCBA in the primary communities of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, from December 2024 to March 2025. A self-designed questionnaire was employed, and participants were selected using a stratified random sampling method. Results: A total of 459 valid questionnaires were collected, with respondents exhibiting a mean age of 32.44 ± 5.59 years. The majority of participants were married (69.28%), and residing in urban areas (46.19%). The knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 11.35 ± 10.20 (possible range: 0-38), 37.91 ± 4.29 (possible range: 10-50), and 56.50 ± 15.97 (possible range: 18-90), respectively. Spearman correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.185, P < 0.001), between attitude and practice (r = 0.474, P < 0.001) and between knowledge and practice (r = 0.356, P < 0.001). Multivariable linear regression analyses showed that both knowledge and attitude were independent predictors of practice scores, and higher educational attainment was also associated with higher practice levels. Living environment contributed significantly to knowledge and attitude scores, while income and family history of early menopause were independently associated with attitude. Structural equation modeling showed that knowledge was associated with attitude (β = 0.210, P = 0.015) and with practice (β = 0.301, P = 0.010), and attitude was associated with practice (β = 0.431, P = 0.005). Knowledge was also indirectly associated with practice through attitude (β = 0.091, P = 0.006). Conclusion: WOCBA demonstrated a constrained understanding of POI, accompanied by moderate attitudes and practices related to it. Targeted educational strategies may help improve awareness of POI among WOCBA, which could be associated with more favorable attitudes and greater engagement in POI-related health-seeking behaviors.