Anthropometric, lifestyle, dietary and diabetic status of Yemeni women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome in Taiz City: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: Exploration of risk factors for polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) across various populations has identified obesity, poor dietary habits, and absence of physical activity as key contributing factors. This study aimed to assess the anthropometric measurements, lifestyle, dietary habits, and diabetic status of Yemeni women with PMOS in Taiz City.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect anthropometric measurements, lifestyle factors, dietary habits, and diabetic status among 151 women with PMOS in Taiz City, Yemen. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire between March and August 2022.Results: The most prevalent symptoms among participants were menstrual irregularities (66.2%), mood disorders (83.4%), dysmenorrhea (74.2%), and androgenic alopecia (72.8%) (p < 0.0001). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 45.7%, whereas high glucose levels were present in only one participant. The main finding of the anthropometric measurements was the high prevalence of overweight (45%) and obesity (13.3%). In contrast to the hypothetical equal frequency of healthy diet and physical activity categories, there were higher observed frequencies of no adherence to a healthy diet (73.5%) and absence of physical activities (76.2%) in participants, which was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Dietary analysis revealed high daily consumption of white flour (90.1%), sugar (49%, 1–5 teaspoons), low intake of fruits (61.6%, 2–3 times/week), dairy products (44.4%, 2–3 times/week), and water (49%, one litre daily). Postprandial blood glucose exhibited hyperglycaemia in only 0.7%, which indicates good control with antidiabetic medications.Conclusions: The study shows that Yemeni women with PMOS often have a high body mass index, an absence of physical activity, and an unhealthy diet, which is further complicated by a high incidence of diabetic status. The frequent manifestations of menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, mood disorders, and androgenic alopecia can be alleviated by adopting a healthy lifestyle involving dietary changes and exercise.