Evaluation of women knowledge and perception about polycystic ovary syndrome and its management in Jordan: A survey‐based study

Abstract

Objectives Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common metabolic and endocrine disorder in females in their reproductive‐age and is associated with clinical complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and perception of women in Jordan about PCOS, its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Methods A descriptive, cross‐sectional study that was designed in order to assess female knowledge, and perceptions about PCOS in Jordan. The study was carried out through a validated questionnaire and 227 was the number of recruited female participants. Results The result showed that the participants had inadequate knowledge about PCOS. The major sources of information were physician and family (n = 77, 34%), 205 participants were aware that irregular or absence of menstrual cycle is a symptom of PCOS (90.3%). More than half of participants (55.9%) believe that PCOS patients have low body image. The educational level and marital status factors were significantly associated with participants’ knowledge about PCOS (P‐value = .008 and .004, respectively). Conclusion The result of this study concluded that women have insufficient knowledge about PCOS and its complication. There is a need to enhance the knowledge and perception in female population in Jordan by developing education using different sources.

Knowledge of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Its Complications, and Management among Lebanese Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…As observed, women incorporated in this study reported considerably varying degrees of knowledge of PCOS. Twenty percent had inadequate knowledge (0-9), 36.4% had satisfactory knowledge (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17), and 43.6% had good knowledge (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24). The mean knowledge score was determined to be 15.44 AE 7.26 and was graded as satisfactory.…”

“…4 Similarly, 80.6% of participants from another study knew that PCOS greatly benefits from reduced weight. 17 While such a decrease in weight can alone restore the menstrual cycle to its regular rhythm naturally, this strategy cannot be suggested in non-obese or minimally overweight women because of limited data on the role of diet and exercise in this population. 4 As for the participant's perception of the disease, most women agreed that PCOS requires social support and that most women with PCOS have a poor body image.…”

“…4 Overall, married women were found to be more knowledgeable of PCOS, similar to the finding of other studies. 17 This may be explained by the fact that married women may attend more meetings with gynecologists and be more likely involved in conversations about reproductive issues than unmarried women. However, those visits did not boost unmarried females' sexual and reproductive health knowledge, according to a study conducted by Hamdaniah et al 24 In addition, women with higher educational levels had a greater degree of knowledge, similar to what was observed in other studies.…”

“…The research was conducted using a questionnaire that was adapted from previous similar studies on PCOS. 17,19 After drafting the questionnaire, it was examined by five expert academics and five women for the face and content validity. Based on their feedback, several changes were made to the language of questions to improve clarity, and several statements were adjusted to ensure that all items were comprehended.…”

“…15 Similar reports were obtained from other countries in the middle east (Saudi Arabia and Jordan) where limited awareness was found among women. 16,17 More importantly, research suggests that many women with PCOS tend to search the internet for information rather than consulting with a healthcare professional due to a possible hesitation to talk about reproductive issues. 18 This condition may lead to a discrepancy in the level of patients' knowledge-accuracy, underdiagnosis, and significant disease complications.…”