Knowledge, attitude and practice toward obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome among women of childbearing age with overweight or obesity
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: PURPOSE: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) studies are widely used public health research tools to assess what people know, how they feel, and how they behave toward health conditions, providing insights into awareness gaps and guiding targeted interventions. Overweight and obesity in women of childbearing age are linked to a higher risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study aimed to investigate the KAP toward obesity and PCOS among women with overweight or obesity of childbearing age. METHODS: or waist circumference ≥ 85 cm according to Chinese adult criteria, from November 2022 to April 2023. Structural equation modeling (SEM) assessed the relationships between knowledge, attitude, and practice. RESULTS: Among 740 valid questionnaires, 51.08% were aged 18-30 years. Knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 13.55 ± 5.06, 27.27 ± 2.19, and 50.14 ± 6.49, respectively. Positive correlations were found between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.313, P < 0.001), knowledge and practice (r = 0.454, P < 0.001), and attitude and practice (r = 0.415, P < 0.001). SEM showed significant associations between knowledge and attitude (β = 0.13, P < 0.001), between knowledge and practice (β = 0.46, P < 0.001), and between attitude and practice (β = 0.90, P < 0.001).Knowledge was indirectly associated with practice through attitude (β = 0.12, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Women of childbearing age with overweight or obesity demonstrated insufficient knowledge, neutral attitudes, and moderate practices concerning obesity and PCOS. Targeted educational interventions focusing on enhancing knowledge and fostering positive attitudes toward healthy lifestyles and PCOS management would be helpful to mitigate the risk and impact of PCOS in this population.
Authors: Yibing Mu, Ying Zou, Chanchan Chen
Institution: Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Reproductive Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,590
OpenAlex ID: W7118186237