Prevalence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome among Malaysian Female University Staff

Background & aim: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic disease with diverse etiologies. The prevalence of PCOS varies among different ethnicities and across various geographical and social settings. Scarce data exist on the prevalence of PCOS in Asia, especially in Malaysia. Regarding this, the present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of PCOS and its subtypes among the Malaysian University staff. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on females of reproductive age working at University Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia. The study population was selected through simple random sampling technique. The women with thyroid abnormalities or adrenal hyperplasia were excluded from the study. The participants were screened based on anthropometric measurements, medical history, blood pressure, and pelvic examination, as well as the presence of hirsutism, acne, and alopecia. The participants were also assessed for total and free testosterone levels and subjected to ultrasonography. The PCOS diagnosis was based on Rotterdam criteria. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test, t-test, Chi-square test, and logistic regression at the significance level of 0.05. Results: A total of 675 females with the mean age of 26.01±7.14 years participated in this study. The prevalence rate of PCOS was obtained as 12.6%. All PCOS subjects were detected with hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovary, while anovulation was present in only one participant (1.2%). Odds of PCOS diagnosis was significantly related to increased body mass index (OR=1.14, 95% CI: 1.05-1.25), higher waist circumference (OR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.01-1.11), hirsutism (OR=20.83, 95% CI: 5.35- 81.13), and amenorrhea (OR=0.18, 95% CI: 0.04-0.69). Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of PCOS and a specific phenotype of PCOS among the Malaysian employees.