Understanding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Mental Health Disparities in Bangladeshi Women: A Mixed Method Approach

Understanding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Mental Health Disparities in Bangladeshi Women: A Mixed Method Approach | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Understanding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Mental Health Disparities in Bangladeshi Women: A Mixed Method Approach Maharaj Khan, Abdullah Jaman, MD. Faisal Ahmed, Namrata Das This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4918589/v2 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Abstract Background: PCOS is a common hormonal disorder that affects women's well-being. It is a chronic ailment without a cure, and poses a significant threat to women's health, with many going women untreated. Aims: Many women in Bangladesh lack knowledge about PCOS, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. This gap hinders the understanding of coping strategies, treatment options, and lifestyle improvements related to this condition. Methods: In total, 426 participants were included in this mixed methods study, and data were collected via a mixed-methods approach. A standard approach was used for the assessment of among Bangladeshi people’s knowledge about PCOS signs, and symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options, and impacts on health. The prevalence of diagnostic tests among people and the extent to which women are underdiagnosed were also determined. Results: A positive PCOS status had a significantly negative impact on mental health conditions. The knowledge levels about PCOS among participants were low (63.7%), moderate (21.6%), or high (14.7%). We found significant associations between knowledge level and age, education, occupation, place of residence, screening practices, and PCOS status (p-value <0.05). Notably, 63.4% of women in Bangladesh remain undiagnosed and have a symptomatic appearance. Conclusion: A significant number of women have limited knowledge about PCOS. Moreover, these studies failed to assess PCOS status, even though the prevalence of PCOS is more than thirty percent. Hence, it is important to arrange a health education initiative aimed at educating and encouraging women to actively engage in the diagnostic process to prevent PCOS complications. PCOS Women Reproductive Mental Health Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files PCOSKnowledgeScale.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4918589","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":345419034,"identity":"86c17b8f-fe95-44a3-9046-6662c7a32a59","order_by":0,"name":"Maharaj Khan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bangladesh Institute of Innovative Health Research","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maharaj","middleName":"","lastName":"Khan","suffix":""},{"id":345419035,"identity":"d218721f-b8cf-41bd-952e-8c070c04ed7b","order_by":1,"name":"Abdullah Jaman","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bangladesh Institute of Innovative Health Research","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abdullah","middleName":"","lastName":"Jaman","suffix":""},{"id":345419036,"identity":"ac83aa46-98cd-4af4-9188-960013927743","order_by":2,"name":"MD. Faisal Ahmed","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA9ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBAC9gbGBgaGAoYENmYeBoYPQBE2dgJaeA6AtBhAtDDOAGlhJqgFRAK1AJkMIIsYGAhqYT/c/OGHAUMeHzvvsc82v7bJ8zEzMH74mINHC09im2SPAUMxGzNf8uzcvtuGbcwMzJIzt+HWYs+Q2MbAYwAkmXmMmXN7bjMCtbAx8+LRwsP/sPnjH5gWy57b9oS1SCQ2SMNtYfhxO5EILQ/bpGUMJIB+4TFm7G24ndzGzNiM1y88/OmPP76psMmT7z9jzPDjz23b+e3NBz98xKMFCiQgFGMbmGwgqB4J/CFF8SgYBaNgFIwUAAD5XUP5VbUGAgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Bangladesh Institute of Innovative Health Research","correspondingAuthor":true,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"MD.","middleName":"Faisal","lastName":"Ahmed","suffix":""},{"id":345419037,"identity":"e3ae98b2-4bd1-4176-916a-649f4c5c344e","order_by":3,"name":"Namrata Das","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bangladesh Institute of Innovative Health 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3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":38972,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTotal distress mean score with respect to PCOS status\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4918589/v2/fc2e67c9430168c320c39d0b.png"},{"id":65643485,"identity":"52e33985-198a-4e72-87a0-3aded5d7d6ad","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-30 21:03:21","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":33972,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDepression mean score according to PCOS status\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4918589/v2/d757b91cf84e14161e01e066.png"},{"id":65643180,"identity":"63b537f6-d503-4514-b76a-523ed46d20e3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-30 20:55:21","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":45181,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnxiety mean score according to PCOS status\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4918589/v2/24aaa43d224341c6a80af610.png"},{"id":65643487,"identity":"74e25a48-a6d0-4267-ac54-5b0892ba548b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-30 21:03:21","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":33600,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStress mean score according to PCOS status\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4918589/v2/44ce37e07626366822ed9015.png"},{"id":65643181,"identity":"2a60c666-31d1-4c0f-8e01-5906f714f8d0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-30 20:55:21","extension":"docx","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":2962076,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"PCOSKnowledgeScale.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4918589/v2/92560415035e386b08c1ee82.docx"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUnderstanding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Mental Health Disparities in Bangladeshi Women: A Mixed Method Approach\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"PCOS, Women, Reproductive, Mental Health","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4918589/v2","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4918589/v2","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground: \u003c/strong\u003ePCOS is a common hormonal disorder that affects women's well-being. It is a chronic ailment without a cure, and poses a significant threat to women's health, with many going women untreated.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAims:\u003c/strong\u003e Many women in Bangladesh lack knowledge about PCOS, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. This gap hinders the understanding of coping strategies, treatment options, and lifestyle improvements related to this condition.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods: \u003c/strong\u003eIn total, 426 participants were included in this mixed methods study, and data were collected via a mixed-methods approach. A standard approach was used for the assessment of among Bangladeshi people’s knowledge about PCOS signs, and symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options, and impacts on health. The prevalence of diagnostic tests among people and the extent to which women are underdiagnosed were also determined.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults: \u003c/strong\u003eA positive PCOS status had a significantly negative impact on mental health conditions. The knowledge levels about PCOS among participants were low (63.7%), moderate (21.6%), or high (14.7%). We found significant associations between knowledge level and age, education, occupation, place of residence, screening practices, and PCOS status (p-value \u0026lt;0.05). Notably, 63.4% of women in Bangladesh remain undiagnosed and have a symptomatic appearance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion:\u003c/strong\u003e A significant number of women have limited knowledge about PCOS. Moreover, these studies failed to assess PCOS status, even though the prevalence of PCOS is more than thirty percent. Hence, it is important to arrange a health education initiative aimed at educating and encouraging women to actively engage in the diagnostic process to prevent PCOS complications.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Understanding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Mental Health Disparities in Bangladeshi Women: A Mixed Method Approach","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":2,"date":"2024-09-30 20:55:16","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4918589/v2","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}},{"code":1,"date":"2024-08-26 22:28:04","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4918589/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"9c148289-237d-4f4f-bd31-45c50518ed08","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 30th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-09-16T03:08:20+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-09-30 20:55:16","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v2","identity":"rs-4918589","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4918589","identity":"rs-4918589","version":["v2"]},"buildId":"zQwnuV7TCBrMSSSToR1PI","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}