title: Prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescents and its association with obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study using electronic medical records.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescents aged 15-19 years (n = 137,502).
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  PCOS diagnosed or defined according to National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of a confirmed diagnosis of PCOS was 0.56%, which increased to 1.14% when undiagnosed cases with documented symptoms qualifying for PCOS according to NIH criteria were included. Compared with normal/underweight girls, the odds ratios (OR and 95% confidence interval [CI]) for confirmed PCOS diagnosis were 3.85 (3.04-4.88), 10.25 (8.16-12.84), and 23.10 (18.66-28.61) for overweight, moderately obese, and extremely obese adolescents, respectively, after adjusting for potential confounders. When adolescents with two or more supportive diagnoses were included (diagnosed and undiagnosed PCOS-NIH), the ORs (95% CI) for PCOS-NIH by weight class were significantly attenuated to 2.95 (2.53-3.44), 6.73 (5.78-7.83), and 14.65 (12.73-16.86) for overweight, moderately obese, and extremely obese adolescents, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight and obesity were associated with higher odds of PCOS in adolescents. Studies based solely on diagnosis codes may underestimate the prevalence of PCOS and overestimate the magnitude of the association between obesity and PCOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, California 91101, USA.
authors.forename: Shawna B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Mary Helen
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Mayra M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Steve J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: Amy H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koebnick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012923:Social Class; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral
keywords: Adolescence; body weight; childhood; epidemiology; obesity; polycystic ovary syndrome