title: Polycystic ovary syndrome and intervening factors in adolescents from 15 to 18 years old.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the factors related to the presence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study, with female adolescents from 15 to 18 years old, divided into: group 1 (with a medical diagnosis of PCOS) and group 2 (not diagnosed with PCOS). The height-for-age index and the body mass index were used for classifying the nutritional status, and a semi-structured questionnaire was applied. The Mann-Whitney test, Fisher's exact test, Spearman correlation coefficients, and logistic regression were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study evaluated 485 adolescents with an average age of 16.3 ± 0.9 years old. The prevalence of PCOS was 6.2%. No difference was found between the groups regarding anthropometric parameters and period of contraceptive use; however, there were differences regarding the age at menarche (p < 0.004). Older age at menarche was a protection factor against the syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An association was found between younger age at menarche and the development of the PCOS in adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa, MG, Brazil. francianerdefaria@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Franciane Rocha de
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: Laís Silveira
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Gusmão
authors.forename: Eliane Rodrigues de
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: Vivian Siqueira Santos
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Roberta Stofeles
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Cecon
authors.forename: Sylvia do Carmo Castro
authors.initials: Sdo C
authors.lastname: Franceschini
authors.forename: Silvia Eloiza
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Priore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Adolescent; Adolescente; Doenças metabólicas; Estado nutricional; Menarca; Menarche; Metabolic diseases; Nutritional status; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Síndrome do ovário policístico