Abstract

Background: While PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder amongst women of reproductive age, it is primarily undiagnosed within younger populations. Very few published studies are available evaluating the prevalence of PCOS and its associated psychological, clinical, and familial characteristics in the female medical student population of Pakistan.
Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the self-reported prevalence of previously diagnosed PCOS among female medical students in Pakistan and to explore its associations with clinical characteristics, psychological factors, lifestyle habits, and family history.
Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out between January 10 and September 2, 2025, that involved female undergraduate medical students from selected public and private medical institutions in Pakistan who were recruited through convenience sampling. Participants completed a structured self-administered questionnaire that assessed demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, psychological well-being, lifestyle behaviors, and family history of PCOS. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were employed to evaluate the association between PCOS and its potential correlates.
Results: Out of 289 patients, 35 claimed to have previously been diagnosed with PCOS, with multiple clinical manifestations including irregular menstrual cycles, acne, hirsutism, hair thinning, abdominal bloating, and acanthosis nigricans. Participants with PCOS were more likely to report pathological concerns such as depressive symptoms (82%), reduced self-esteem (71%), and sleep disturbances (45%). A familial predisposition was evident, with 34% of affected students reportedly having a family history of PCOS. Compared with only 5% of those without the disorder, there were no significant differences found in the dietary and physical activity patterns between the two groups
Conclusion: The study revealed that a significant proportion of female medical students had a prior diagnosis of PCOS and were linked with clinical manifestations, perceived psychological distress, perceived psychological distress and a positive family history. Additional investigation should utilize uniform diagnostic criteria and reliable psychological assessment measures to strengthen the evidence.

Key words: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Prevalence; Students, Medical; Pakistan; Risk Factors; Family Health; Depression; Self Concept; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders