Scoping review of studies on polycystic ovary syndrome in adolescents: identifying research characteristics

Nur Zati Iwani Ahmad Kamil¹, Shazana Rifham Abdullah^1*, Nur Azlin Zainal Abidin¹, Norhashimah Abu Seman¹, Siti Sarah Hamzah¹, Ruziana Mona Wan Mohd Zin¹, You Zhuan Tan², Farah Huda Mohkiar², Fatin Saparuddin¹, Liyana Ahmad Zamri¹, Muhammad Khairul Nazrin Khalil³

1. Endocrine and Metabolic Unit, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 1 Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Section U13, Setia Alam, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

2. Cardiovascular Unit, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 1 Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Section U13, Setia Alam, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

3. Centre for Family Health Research, Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 1 Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Section U13, Setia Alam, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

*Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CITATION: Ahmad Kamil NZI, Abdullah SR, Zainal Abidin NA, Abu Seman N, Hamzah SS, Wan Mohd Zin RM, et al. Scoping review of polycystic ovary syndrome studies in adolescents: identifying research characteristic. International Medical Research Journal. 2024 Oct;10(1):84–96.

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ABSTRACT

The consequences of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescents go beyond infertility during reproductive   age. Therefore, research on PCOS should be methodically designed to address gaps and enhance the diagnosis and clinical management of the condition. This scoping review aims to describe the characteristics of research on PCOS among adolescents, and summarize the available methods of diagnosing PCOS among adolescents in epidemiological research. This review followed the standard protocols by Arksey and O’Malley and adheres to the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) 2018 statement checklist. We included studies of female adolescents aged 13 to 18 years old and published from January 2011 up to December 2023. 341 articles were reviewed. Majority of the studies were observational and primarily conducted in Western countries, indicating the paucity of research on PCOS in Asian adolescents. The main limitations of existing studies are small sample size and potential admission bias due to the non-community-based nature of research. Additionally, the use of adult definitions for PCOS diagnosis in adolescent studies is also debatable. This scoping review assembles and provides insights into the characteristics of current PCOS studies in adolescents, aiming to guide future research directions in the field of PCOS.

KEYWORDS: Adolescents, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Diagnosis, Scoping Review.