Assessment of quality of life in patients having Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome: A cross-sectional facility-based study

Ishwarpreet Kaur; Amarjeet Singh; Vanita Suri; Kamal Kishore; Satya Vati Rana; Nancy Sahni; Sudip Bhattacharya

doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_21_23

Assessment of quality of life in patients having Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome: A cross-sectional facility-based study

J Educ Health Promot. 2023 Jun 30:12:190. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_21_23. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Ishwarpreet Kaur¹, Amarjeet Singh¹, Vanita Suri², Kamal Kishore³, Satya Vati Rana⁴, Nancy Sahni⁵, Sudip Bhattacharya⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
² Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
³ Department of Biostatistics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
⁴ Department of Gastroenterology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
⁵ Department of Dietetics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
⁶ Department of Community and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Deoghar, Jharkhand, India.

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder affecting various body organs. Menstrual irregularity, anovulation, and many cosmetic issues faced by PCOS patients endanger the essence of being a woman and may have a deleterious impact on their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study aimed to assess HRQOL in patients with PCOS and to identify the clinical and socio-demographic factors that might predict poor HRQOL.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the tertiary care hospital in India. A total of 275 women visiting the same setting and diagnosed with PCOS were included. The participants' quality of life was studied using a disease-specific HRQOL questionnaire. Information regarding clinical and socio-demographics was collected using the interviewer schedule. For evaluating the predictors of HRQOL in PCOS subjects, analysis of variance and independent t-test was applied. For subgroup analysis, the post hoc (Gabriel) test was applied.

Results: The average total score of HRQOL of the study participants was 125.41 ± 29.1. The lowest weighted mean score was for menstrual problems. Among the socio-demographic variables, age and educational level influenced the HRQOL scores. Highly educated women reported the poorest HRQOL. The analysis of variance also indicated a significant variation in HRQOL scores among body mass index categories [F (4,270) = 5.09, P = <.001] and hirsutism status [F (2,272) = 14.222, P =<.001].

Conclusions: Menstrual irregularity, hirsutism, increased body mass index, educational status, and age are critical in altering HRQOL in PCOS cases. Clinicians should inquire about the HRQOL of patients with severe clinical manifestations and appropriate support must be provided during patient care.

Keywords: Analysis of variance; endocrine disorder; health-related quality of life; hirsutism; hyperandrogenism; polycystic ovarian syndrome; women's health.