Knowledge and awareness of polycystic ovarian syndrome among female undergraduates in a selected private university: A descriptive study

Abstract

Objectives: This study assessed the knowledge and awareness of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) among female undergraduates at a selected private university in Nigeria.

Method: The study utilised a cross-sectional descriptive design. Multistage sampling was used to select the specific settings, resulting in 413 sampled respondents. A pretested instrument was used in collecting the data. Descriptive and inferential (Pearson correlation) statistics were used to analyse data at 5% level of significance.

Results: Findings revealed that 61.4% of respondents demonstrated average knowledge, and 63.4% showed high awareness of PCOS. A positive correlation was found between awareness and knowledge (r = 0.351; p < 0.05). There were significant differences in the level of knowledge between the social and health sciences students (Mean diff. = 2.609, p < 0.05), and the level of awareness between 200-level and 500-level female undergraduates (Mean diff. = 0.44, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: This study emphasises the importance of continuous health education, early intervention, and multidisciplinary collaboration to improve understanding, early diagnosis and management of PCOS among female undergraduates.