Knowledge on health practices and symptom based assessment of polycystic ovary syndrome and its associated factors among young women in the Dhaka district of Bangladesh

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and assess the level of knowledge, determinants, and health-related practices related to PCOS among young women in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, among 504 young women aged 15–26 years using a self-administered bilingual questionnaire to collect primary data. A structured questionnaire adapted from validated sources was used, and the reliability of each scale was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha to ensure internal consistency. It is stated that PCOS diagnosis was not clinically confirmed; however, it was self-reported through a scoring system. The study used bivariate analysis and logistic regression to find the significant factors. Findings of the self-reported records demonstrate that 11.9% have a family history of PCOS, only 3.57% were diagnosed, and 44.45% were suspected of PCOS. Respondents with science backgrounds, including medical students ( p = 0.048), have four times higher odds (AOR: 4.9, 95% CI 1.1, 26.9), and science but non-medical (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI 1.1, 3.1) backgrounds have also 1.9 times higher knowledge than respondents with non-science backgrounds. Individuals who do not work in the health sector are less likely (AOR: 0.4, 95%CI 0.2, 0.8) to engage in PCOS-related practices. It is concluded that education level, work sector, and respondent age are highly associated with knowledge of PCOS and health practices. Spreading awareness of PCOS can improve people’s attitudes towards it. Women who have been suspected or diagnosed with the condition should seek medical attention right away.