US Adolescents of Asian Ethnicity Have Higher Risk of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors' conclusion
Contemporary US adolescents of South Asian, Filipina, Vietnamese, and Chinese descent have about 2- to 3-fold higher adjusted odds of PCOS than White adolescents, and Hispanic females have 1.5-fold higher odds. These findings emphasize the importance of systematic surveillance in at-risk populations.
Study context
- Population
- Female adolescents aged 13–17 years with well-child visits 2021–2024 in a California healthcare system
- Participants
- 126,861 adolescents
- Exposure
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) odds by race/ethnicity vs White adolescents
- Outcome
- Prevalence of diagnosed PCOS by race/ethnicity
Methodological detailssingle healthcare system, logistic regression adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI) category and neighborhood deprivation index (NDI)
- Single healthcare system
- Logistic regression adjusted for age, BMI category and NDI
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Diagnosed PCOS
Hispanic
1.6 to 1.7%
Filipina
1.6 to 1.7%
South Asian
1.6 to 1.7%
NHPI
1.6 to 1.7%
Vietnamese
1.3%
Black
1.1%
White
0.7-0.8%
Chinese
0.7-0.8%
Each group vs whiteAdjusted odds ratio (95% CI)
Vietnamese
3.0(1.7–5.2)
South Asian
2.8(2.0–3.9)
Filipina
2.6(2.0–3.4)
Chinese
1.8(1.2–2.7)
Hispanic
1.5(1.3–1.7)
- Overall PCOS prevalence
- 1.1%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values |
|---|---|
| PCOS prevalence among adolescents with obesityGroup values printed as shared ranges | White 2.7 to 3.3% · Black 2.7 to 3.3% · NHPI 2.7 to 3.3% · Hispanic 4.8% · Chinese 5.7-6.2% · Vietnamese 5.7-6.2% · South Asian 5.7-6.2% · Filipina 7.5% |
- PCOS prevalence among adolescents with obesity — Overall prevalence with obesity
- 4.1%
Original publication
US Adolescents of Asian Ethnicity Have Higher Risk of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Horm Res Paediatr. Published 29 April 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →