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Body size from birth to adulthood as a predictor of self-reported polycystic ovary syndrome symptoms

International Journal of Obesity volume 27, pages 710–715 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between body size from birth to adulthood and self-reported symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), particularly hirsutism and menstrual disturbances.

DESIGN: Longitudinal, population-based study of a cohort of women born in 1966 in northern Finland. The study population included 2007 women who were not pregnant and did not use hormonal contraception. Of these 528 (26%) had self-reported symptoms of PCOS.

RESULTS: Weight at birth, gestational age, being small for gestational age or growth retardation at birth were not associated with PCOS symptoms at 31 y. An increased risk of PCOS symptoms was observed among women with abdominal obesity (waist/hip ratio >85th percentile) at 31 y who had normal weight in adolescence and were overweight (body mass index (BMI) 25.0–29.9 kg/m2) or obese (BMI>30.0 kg/m2) at 31 y (relative risk (RR) (95% CI) 1.44(1.10–1.89)), and among women with abdominal obesity who were overweight or obese at both 14 and 31 y (1.71 (1.30–2.24)). A total of 30% and 41% of the women with PCOS symptoms in these groups could be attributed, respectively, to overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity at 31 y.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that obesity in adolescence and in adulthood, and also weight gain after adolescence, particularly in the presence of abdominal obesity, are associated with self-reported PCOS symptoms in adulthood. Thus, based on the results from intervention studies treating PCOS and the results of this study, the prevention of obesity and abdominal obesity is important among young women.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the Academy of Finland, the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation and the European Commission, Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources Programme, contract number QLG1-CT-2000-01643.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oulu Regional Institute of Occupational Health, Oulu, Aapistie 1, Oulu, Finland

    J Laitinen

  2. Department of Public Health Science and General Practice, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    S Taponen, A Pouta, U Sovio & M R Järvelin

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland

    S Taponen, H Martikainen & A-L Hartikainen

  4. Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland

    S Taponen & A Ruokonen

  5. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London, UK

    I Millwood, U Sovio & M R Järvelin

  6. Imperial College Genetics and Genomics Research Institute, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London, UK, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    M I McCarthy

  7. Department of Reproductive Science and Medicine, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, London, UK

    S Franks

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  1. J Laitinen
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  2. S Taponen
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Correspondence to J Laitinen.

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Laitinen, J., Taponen, S., Martikainen, H. et al. Body size from birth to adulthood as a predictor of self-reported polycystic ovary syndrome symptoms. Int J Obes 27, 710–715 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802301

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