基于症状聚类与诊断趋势的伊拉克多囊卵巢综合征女性临床与文化视角
CLINICAL AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES ON POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME IN WOMEN BASED ON SYMPTOM CLUSTERING AND DIAGNOSTIC TRENDS
摘要
该研究对402名通过诊所、校园与社交媒体便利招募的伊拉克女性进行横断面问卷调查,采集月经不规律、多毛、痤疮、体重、生育顾虑、诊断史与治疗行为等信息,采用主成分分析与K-means聚类识别表型样亚组。样本中59.9%有实验室支持的PCOS诊断,30.2%为临床诊断,9.7%仅有症状未诊断;96.0%使用补充或传统医学,93.3%担忧未来生育。聚类得到三个亚组:轻度/瘦型、以痤疮为主的中度型、体重较高且多毛更明显型。作者强调便利抽样与自报数据的局限,结论属假设生成性质。
原文摘要
BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder associated with reproductive, metabolic, and psychosocial complications. In Iraq, limited data are available on symptom patterns, diagnostic experiences, and treatment behaviors, particularly from data-driven analyses of subgroup heterogeneity. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore symptom profiles, diagnostic pathways, and treatment behaviors among a convenience sample of Iraqi women reporting PCOS-related features, and to identify phenotype-like subgroups using unsupervised machine learning. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 402 Iraqi women recruited through clinics, campuses, and social media platforms. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, menstrual irregularity, hirsutism, acne, body weight, fertility-related concerns, diagnosis history, and treatment practices. Because recruitment relied on convenience sampling, the sample was predominantly young, unmarried, and likely urban/suburban, educated, and internet-connected. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for dimensionality reduction, followed by K-means clustering to identify phenotype-like subgroup patterns. RESULTS: Among this convenience sample, 59.9% of participants reported a prior laboratory-supported diagnosis of PCOS, 30.2% reported a clinical diagnosis, and 9.7% reported symptoms without a prior diagnosis. Complementary or traditional medicine use was common in this sample (96.0%), and 93.3% expressed concern regarding future fertility. Symptom burden was observed across BMI categories. Unsupervised clustering identified three phenotype-like subgroups: a mild/lean profile, an acne-predominant/moderate profile, and a higher-weight profile with more marked hirsutism. CONCLUSION: This study provides an exploratory view of PCOS-related symptom patterns, diagnostic pathways, and treatment behaviors among a predominantly young convenience sample of Iraqi women. Given the sampling strategy and reliance on self-reported information, the findings should be interpreted cautiously as hypothesis-generating rather than nationally representative of Iraqi women. Nevertheless, the observed heterogeneity and fertility-related concerns may help inform culturally sensitive counseling and future larger, more representative studies in Iraq.
推荐理由:选题聚焦伊拉克PCOS女性的症状模式、诊断路径与传统医学使用,具文化与区域特色;但属便利抽样的自报问卷、无生殖/ART结局与生物学验证,聚类方法常规,仅可作假设生成参考。
文献解读
尚未生成。