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Assessment of Awareness and Sources of Information Regarding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Among Young Women

Shweta Keswani, Dipali Saxena, Manisha Saxena, Jayshree Sharma, Tasneem null

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Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.


International Journal of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics 14(1):p 39-46, Jan - April 2026. | DOI: 10.21088/ijfnd.2322.0775.14126.6

How Cite This Article:

Shweta Keswani, Dipali Saxena, Manisha Saxena, et al. Assessment of Awareness and Sources of Information Regarding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Among Young Women. Int J Food Nutr Diet. 2026; 14(1): 39–46.

Timeline

Received : March 13, 2026         Accepted : April 14, 2026          Published : April 30, 2026

Abstract

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting women during their reproductive years and is associated with several reproductive, metabolic, and psychological complications. Despite its growing prevalence, awareness and understanding of the condition remain limited among many young women. The present study was conducted to assess the level of awareness regarding PCOS and to identify the major sources of information among young women. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used for the study. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed online, and a total of 87 valid responses were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage distribution were used to summarize the data, and the Chi-square test was applied to examine associations between selected variables. The findings revealed that most respondents (78.16%) had heard of PCOS, while a smaller proportion had not heard of the condition or were unsure about it. Social media was identified as the most common source of information, followed by friends, healthcare professionals, family members, and educational institutions. A statistically significant association was observed between educational level and awareness of PCOS (χ² = 10.16, p = 0.038), indicating that awareness increased with higher levels of education. However, the association between family history of PCOS and awareness was not statistically significant (χ² = 9.21, p = 0.056). The study highlights the need for improved reproductive health education and awareness programs to enhance understanding of PCOS among young women. Increasing access to reliable information through healthcare professionals and educational institutions may help promote early recognition and better management of the condition.


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Data Sharing Statement

There are no additional data available. All raw data and code are available upon request.

Funding

This research received no funding.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed significantly to the work and approve its publication.

Ethics Declaration

This article does not involve any human or animal subjects, and therefore does not require ethics approval.

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the patients, their families, and all those who have contributed to this study.

Conflicts of Interest

No conflicts of interest in this work.


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Cite this article

Shweta Keswani, Dipali Saxena, Manisha Saxena, et al. Assessment of Awareness and Sources of Information Regarding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Among Young Women. Int J Food Nutr Diet. 2026; 14(1): 39–46.


Licence:

Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.


Received Accepted Published
March 13, 2026 April 14, 2026 April 30, 2026

DOI: 10.21088/ijfnd.2322.0775.14126.6

Keywords

PCOS • Awareness • Young women • Reproductive health • Health educationPCOSAwarenessYoung womenReproductive healthHealth education

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Received March 13, 2026
Accepted April 14, 2026
Published April 30, 2026

licence


Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.


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