Abstract:
Background Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive hormonal anomaly prevalent among women
of reproductive age, with an alarmingly high prevalence of 52% among Pakistani women. This study aims to compare
the daily physical activity and dietary habits of women with PCOS with age-matched healthy controls living in Lahore,
Pakistan.
Methods A case–control study design was used to collect data from a private hospital situated in Lahore, Pakistan.
Data was collected from 115 participants of reproductive age (18–45 years) using a researcher-administered questionnaire.
Demographic variables, reproductive characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and seven days of physical
activity levels using the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ-Short version) and seven days of dietary
intake using the food frequency questionnaire (7 days-FFQ) were used to measure the dietary habits of the participants.
Mosby’s Nutritac v4.0 software was used to estimate the macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals present
in dietary intake. The glycaemic index and glycaemic load were calculated to compare the quality and quantity of carbohydrate
consumption between the two groups.
Results The 49 PCOS cases, newly identified using the Rotterdam criteria, mean age 24.63 years (SD ± 4.76), and 66
healthy controls, mean age 23.24 years (SD ± 5.45), were compared. A significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) was found
for reproductive characteristics, daily physical activity, and polyunsaturated fat and vitamin intake between the two
groups. A binary logistic regression analysis showed that food with a low glycaemic index (GI ≤ 40) reduced the odds
of PCOS occurrence by OR = 1.94. Similarly, food nutrients with a low glycaemic load (GL ≤ 10) can reduce PCOS occurrence
by OR = 1.60.
Conclusion The daily physical activity levels and dietary habits of women of reproductive age can influence their
reproductive characteristics and polycystic ovarian morphology. A diet with a low glycaemic load and index can produce
beneficial reproductive health effects among women of reproductive age.
