Knowledge and attitude towards polycystic ovarian syndrome among students of Kaatsu International University, Sri lanka: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most prevalent metabolic and reproductive health disorder among women worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and attitude toward polycystic ovarian syndrome among an undergraduate population and the association with specific socio-demographic factors. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 272 female undergraduates of the KAATSU International University (KIU), Sri Lanka, through a simple random sampling method. Data were collected through a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 26. The study was approved by the ERC of KIU (KIU/ERC/21/93). The mean age of the sample was 24.7±3.2 years. Regarding knowledge of PCOS, 29.4% had poor, 61.4% had moderate, and only 9.2% had good knowledge, while in terms of attitude, 4.2% had a low, 32.4% had moderate, and 33.1% had a high attitude towards PCOS. Among the females who reported being diagnosed with PCOS, 65.1% (28/43) had moderate knowledge, and 55.8% (24/43) had a high attitude toward PCOS. The population’s primary source of knowledge about PCOS was the internet, followed by health education and awareness programmes. This study revealed that there was no significant association between the knowledge level about PCOS and the socio-demographic factors (age, marital status, having children) in the total population (p<0.05). At the same time, there was a significant association between marital status and attitude level (p<0.05). The results concluded that PCOS-diagnosed females had a satisfactory level of knowledge and attitude. In contrast, the overall knowledge and attitude towards PCOS are insufficient among the total population. Thus, there is a need to enhance the knowledge about PCOS and its symptoms for proper evaluation and diagnosis.