The Influence of Study Quality, Age, and Geographic Factors on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Prevalence—A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors' conclusion
This systematic review and meta-analysis reveals a trend toward regional variations and age differences across diagnostic criteria. The study results suggest considering study quality using instruments tailored for epidemiological studies in PCOS, such as the PEP tool, when carrying out these types of meta-analyses.
Study context
- Population
- Women in unselected populations; PubMed and Embase searched through February 2024
- Participants
- 561,287 women88 studies
- Comparison
- PCOS prevalence by diagnostic criteria, study quality, region and age
- Outcome
- Global PCOS prevalence
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
PCOS prevalence in high-quality studies (PCOS Epidemiology and Phenotype (PEP) tool)
Further pooled results
Prevalence, adults vs adolescents (NIH)
P = 0.01
Prevalence, adults vs adolescents (NIH), high-quality studies only
P = 0.053
Regional prevalence, high-quality studies
- National Institutes of Health (NIH): Eastern Mediterranean Region to Western Pacific Region
- 5.72% to 6.90%
- Rotterdam: South-East Asia to Eastern Mediterranean Region
- 11.15% to 9.12%
- Androgen Excess and PCOS Society (AE-PCOS): Western Pacific Region only
- 6.9%
- No significant regional disparities
- No studies available in the African Region
Original publication
The Influence of Study Quality, Age, and Geographic Factors on PCOS Prevalence—A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published 3 January 2025. doi:10.
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