Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome per the New International Evidence-Based Guideline

Abstract

Lifestyle modifications are recommended as first-line therapy in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, usual dietary and physical activity (PA) behaviors of women with PCOS remain uncertain, likely owing to controversy in diagnostic criteria. Our objective was to contrast the usual dietary and PA behaviors of women with PCOS (n = 80) diagnosed by the 2018 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of PCOS to that of controls (n = 44). Study outcomes were dietary intake, diet quality (Healthy Eating Index-2015), and PA (questionnaire, waist-worn accelerometers). Women with PCOS met the acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges for carbohydrate, fat, and protein, but did not meet the recommended dietary reference intakes for vitamin D (mean (95% confidence interval); 6 (5-7) μg/d), vitamin B9 (275 (252-298) μg/d), total fiber (24 (22-26) g/d), or sodium (4.0 (3.6-4.4) g/d). Women with PCOS also met the US recommendations for PA. No differences were detected in dietary intake, diet quality, or PA levels between groups (p ≥ 0.11). In conclusion, women with and without PCOS have comparable dietary and PA behaviors. A lack of unique targets for dietary or PA interventions supports the position of the new guideline to foster healthy lifestyle recommendations for the management of PCOS.

Keywords: diet; exercise; healthy lifestyle; nutritional assessment; polycystic ovary syndrome.

Figure 1

Physical activity levels of women with polycystic ovary syndrome and controls. Physical activity levels measured by accelerometry are shown in Panel A (n = 82 women; n = 48 in the PCOS and n = 34 in the control group). Physical activity levels measured by the Women’s Health Initiative Study Physical Activity Questionnaire are shown in Panel B (n = 101 women; n = 62 in the PCOS and n = 39 in the control group). Data are expressed as the mean and standard deviation. Physical activity levels were not different between groups in the crude models and after adjusting for age and body mass index differences and the number of comparisons (all: p ≥ 0.14). Abbreviations: PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome; MET, metabolic equivalent task.