The prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is an endocrine disorder with many complications. This syndrome is a growing concern among adolescents around the world, with varying reports of its prevalence in different parts of the world. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in adolescents by a systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: In this study, a search for published articles with an English language limitation and without a time limit was done in different databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, Emabse and Cochrane) in January 2019. The 12 studies that met the criteria for entering a qualitative assessment scale of 5 and higher were subjected to systematic review and meta-analysis. Egger and Begg’s tests were used to check the publication bias. Data were analyzed with STATA software, version 11.1. Results: Twelve studies were included for meta-analysis. The total number of participants in the study was 149,477. The average quality score of all studies was 8.67 (range: 5–10). The prevalence of polycystic ovarian syndrome in adolescents based on the Rotterdam criteria was 11.04% (95% CI: 6.84–16.09%), based on the National Institute of Health criteria, it was 3.39% (95% CI: 0.28–9.54%), and based on Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society, it was 8.03% (95% CI: 6.24–10.01%). Conclusion: The result of this study showed that there is a variation in the prevalence of PCOS in adolescents based on different criteria; we suggest more community-based studies among adolescences in different parts of the world.