Measures of health-related quality of life in PCOS women: a cross sectional study from Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine-gynecologic disorder affecting women of childbearing age. It has a wide range of clinical manifestations, including menstrual irregularity, infertility, hirsutism, acne, and obesity. Studies have confirmed that PCOS can significantly reduce a patient's health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The pathophysiology of PCOS is poorly understood, but it is believed to be caused by the interaction of several factors. Moreover, there is a lack of information about HRQoL among PCOS women in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to assess the HRQoL of PCOS patients by using the Arabic Version of the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Health-Related Quality of life Questionnaire (AR-PCOSQ) in Riyadh city.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 281 women in Riyadh city using the translated questionnaire (AR-PCOSQ) to explore PCOS quality of life among Saudi females. The eligibility criteria were Saudi female who had been diagnosed with PCOS, living in Riyadh city, aged 18 and above, and willing to participate. The sample size was estimated using the 10-events-per variable rule for prediction models (REF). Informed consent was taken from all participants and a Google Form was used to create the survey and collect data.

RESULTS

The higher score represents poor QOL. However, the analysis revealed that higher scores of the weight-related QOL had the greatest impact on patients' quality of life in older age groups, including women aged 26 to 35 (beta = 0.143, 95% CI, 0.023 to 0.304, p-value = 0.046) and women aged > 35 (beta = 0.229, 95% CI, 0.039 to 0.428, p = 0.011). Other domains of QOL, such as emotions, body hair, infertility, and menstrual problems, were not significantly predicted by any of the women's demographic characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings revealed that PCOS-related conditions such as weight problems, menstrual irregularity, and infertility were associated with a reduction in quality of life.