A mixed-method analysis of health literacy and indicators of well-being in women with polycystic ovary syndrome across the lifespan.
Background: Despite the severe, chronic nature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), relatively little is known about the lived experience of women with this condition, especially as they transition through menopause. Objective: This mixed-methods study investigated the lived experience of women with...
| Publicado en: | Therapeutic Advances in Reproductive Health Vol. 20; pp. 1 - 15 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Sage Publications Inc.
2/22/2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=191809055&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 191809055 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 26334941 N9DZ jtl: Therapeutic Advances in Reproductive Health issn: 26334941 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: 2/22/2026 vid: 20 pid: 344 pub: Sage Publications Inc. place: Thousand Oaks, California artinfo: ui: 191809055 191809055 191809055 10.1177/26334941261426089 191809055 ppf: 1 ppct: 14 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: A mixed-method analysis of health literacy and indicators of well-being in women with polycystic ovary syndrome across the lifespan. aug: au: Douglas, Crystal C. Hashmi, Ahmar Mclain, Alexis Arentson-Lantz, Emily J. affil: Conceptualization, Center for Health Promotion, Performance, and Rehabilitation Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA sug: subj: Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome Psychosocial Factors Life Experiences Evaluation Quality of Life Evaluation Health Literacy Health Status Indicators Psychological Well-Being Women Human Female Adult Middle Age Multimethod Studies Semi-Structured Interview Surveys Open-Ended Questionnaires Sample Size Interviews Scales Self Assessment Motivation Life Style Hirsutism Depression Anxiety T-Tests Data Analysis Software Thematic Analysis Funding Source Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Female ab: Background: Despite the severe, chronic nature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), relatively little is known about the lived experience of women with this condition, especially as they transition through menopause. Objective: This mixed-methods study investigated the lived experience of women with PCOS before and after the menopause transition to understand their health literacy, barriers to healthcare management, and desired resources to improve their health and well-being. Design: This was a convergent-parallel mixed-methods study. Methods: Twenty-four participants completed semi-structured interviews and electronic surveys between April 2023 and August 2024. Qualitative data were analyzed using an inductive open-ended approach for thematic analysis. Results: Participants, including 17 pre-menopausal (30.1 ± 4.8 years) and 7 post-menopausal (58.6 ± 6.0 years), self-reported clinical symptoms of PCOS (irregular cycles, hirsutism, and acne) and higher than average anxiety symptoms (pre-menopausal only). Both pre- and post-menopausal women were knowledgeable about the impact of PCOS on their fertility, and expressed low to moderate health literacy to successfully manage the PCOS-related symptoms. Few participants expressed understanding of long-term chronic disease risk. Pre-menopausal participants sought resources for managing symptoms but reported dissatisfaction with provider education and overall patient care. Post-menopausal participants did not view a PCOS diagnosis as a health concern following menopause and internalized PCOS-related health issues as something to be endured. Both pre- and post-menopausal women expressed desires for improved personalized care, life-stage-specific support groups, and better patient-facing resources. Conclusion: Pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women with PCOS exhibit low health literacy about the potential impact of PCOS on metabolic health. Primary care providers should be trained in how to educate women with PCOS, with an emphasis on the impact of the disease beyond reproductive health and through the lifespan. In addition, creating patient-centered resources supporting women throughout the lifespan is needed. Trial registration: This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT05769426. Plain language summary: Well being and health knowledge in women with PCOS before and after menopause Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a serious, long-lasting condition, but we don't know much about what women with PCOS go through, especially during menopause. This study looked at women's experiences with PCOS before and after menopause to understand: 1) What they know about their condition, 2) What makes healthcare difficult and 3) What resources they need. We talked to 24 women and had them fill out surveys. We carefully analyzed their answers to find common themes. We studied 17 younger women who hadn't gone through menopause yet and 7 older women who had. Both groups reported typical PCOS symptoms like irregular periods, extra body hair, and acne. Younger women showed higher anxiety levels. All women knew how PCOS affected their ability to have children but weren't confident in managing their symptoms. Few understood that PCOS increases risk for other health problems. Younger women looked for help with symptoms but were unhappy with their doctors' knowledge and care. Older women didn't think PCOS mattered after menopause and believed they just had to live with their health issues. Both groups wanted better personalized care, support groups for their age, and helpful resources. Women with PCOS don't know enough about how it affects their overall health. Doctors need better training to explain PCOS effects beyond just reproductive issues. We also need to create better resources to help women with PCOS throughout their lives. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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