Relationship Between Health-Related Quality of Life and Sociodemographic Characteristics Among Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Abstract
This study aims to determine the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and their sociodemographic characteristics. A descriptive correlational design was used for this study, conducted from December 2023 to May 2024. A non-probability (convenience sampling) sample of 400 women was selected from infertility clinics in Babylon City, Iraq. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics and the PCOS-related HRQoL scale. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 27, applying non-parametric statistical tests such as Spearman's correlation, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. The results showed that the average age of the participants was 28.95 years, with an average marriage duration of 7.43 years. There were significant correlations between HRQoL dimensions and women's sociodemographic characteristics. Specifically, the study found a positive relationship between body mass index (BMI) and HRQoL, while there was a negative relationship between the number of children and HRQoL. Women with more children tended to have better PCOS-related quality of life in terms of physical symptoms. In contrast, women without children or with fewer children experienced worse quality of life related to infertility, acne, and overall HRQoL. The study indicates that the fewer children women with PCOS have, the poorer their health-related quality of life is in terms of infertility, acne, and overall HRQoL. Conversely, the more children they have, the better their quality of life is in terms of physical symptoms. Additionally, there is a relationship between BMI and HRQoL in women with PCOS, with higher BMI being associated with better HRQoL in terms of weight, physical symptoms, and overall scale.
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