UMMS Affiliation
Department of Quantitative Health Sciences
Publication Date
2011-03-15
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Socioeconomic Factors; Health Status Disparities
Disciplines
Biostatistics | Epidemiology | Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications | Health Services Research
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common metabolic-endocrine disorder in women and is associated with a number of metabolic morbidities. We examined the association of PCOS and its components with socioeconomic status (SES) over the life course to explore the role of the environment on the development of PCOS.
METHODS: Participants included 1163 women, aged 34-39, from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Women's Study, examined at year 16 of the CARDIA study (2001). PCOS was defined according to the 1990 National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria.
RESULTS: Logistic regression models, adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and oral contraceptive (OC) use, demonstrated a statistically significant association between those women with low parental education/high personal education and PCOS (odds ratio [OR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-4.4).
CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that women who experienced low childhood SES are at increased risk of PCOS, but this risk is limited to those who have personally attained a high level of education. More research is needed to determine the childhood socioeconomic factors that might influence this risk and whether conditions associated with upward life mobility play a role or if this group of at-risk women is simply more likely to recall the symptoms that define PCOS.
Keywords
UMCCTS funding
Rights and Permissions
Originally published in the Journal of Women's Health © 2011, copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. and available online at: http://online.liebertpub.com.
DOI of Published Version
10.1089/jwh.2010.2303
Source
J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2011 Mar;20(3):413-9. Epub 2011 Feb 16. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Journal of women's health (2002)
PubMed ID
21323584
Related Resources
Repository Citation
Merkin, Sharon Stein; Azziz, Ricardo; Seeman, Teresa E.; Calderon-Margalit, Ronit; Daviglus, Martha L.; Kiefe, Catarina I.; Matthews, Karen A.; Sternfeld, Barbara; and Siscovick, David S., "Socioeconomic status and polycystic ovary syndrome" (2011). Quantitative Health Sciences Publications and Presentations. 987.
https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/qhs_pp/987
Included in
Biostatistics Commons, Epidemiology Commons, Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications Commons, Health Services Research Commons
