The impact of the weight status on subjective symptomatology of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a cross-cultural comparison between Brazilian and Austrian women

Abstract

Group differences in symptomatology and symptom perception of young women ageing between 18 and 32 years suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) were tested according to cultural background and weight status. In detail 31 Austrian women, living in Carinthia, Austria, and 102 Brazilian women, living in São Paulo, Brazil, were enrolled in the present study. All participants suffered from diagnosed PCOS. The prevalence of hirsutism, infertility, menstrual disturbances and overweight/obesity and their individual impact on health related quality of life were analysed. Furthermore the impact of weight status (BMI) on symptom perception was tested. It turned out, that the Brazilian sample exhibited higher prevalence of PCOS symptoms and these symptoms had a more negative impact on quality of life. The only exception was body weight. Although significantly leaner, the Austrian women showed a higher Cronin score of body weight than their Brazilian counterparts. The results of the present study may indicate that in western industrialized societies the fear of overweight is much more prevalent than in a developing country such as Brazil and thus it has more influence on the quality of life than all the other symptoms.