Knowledge, attitude and practice toward obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome among women of childbearing age with overweight or obesity

Purpose Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) studies are widely used public health research tools to assess what people know, how they feel, and how they behave toward health conditions, providing insights into awareness gaps and guiding targeted interventions. Overweight and obesity in women of childbearing age are linked to a higher risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study aimed to investigate the KAP toward obesity and PCOS among women with overweight or obesity of childbearing age. Methods This cross-sectional study included women of childbearing age with overweight or obesity, defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥ 24.0 kg/m2 or waist circumference ≥ 85 cm according to Chinese adult criteria, from November 2022 to April 2023. Structural equation modeling (SEM) assessed the relationships between knowledge, attitude, and practice. Results Among 740 valid questionnaires, 51.08% were aged 18–30 years. Knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 13.55 ± 5.06, 27.27 ± 2.19, and 50.14 ± 6.49, respectively. Positive correlations were found between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.313, P < 0.001), knowledge and practice (r = 0.454, P < 0.001), and attitude and practice (r = 0.415, P < 0.001). SEM showed significant associations between knowledge and attitude (β = 0.13, P < 0.001), between knowledge and practice (β = 0.46, P < 0.001), and between attitude and practice (β = 0.90, P < 0.001).Knowledge was indirectly associated with practice through attitude (β = 0.12, P < 0.001). Conclusion Women of childbearing age with overweight or obesity demonstrated insufficient knowledge, neutral attitudes, and moderate practices concerning obesity and PCOS. Targeted educational interventions focusing on enhancing knowledge and fostering positive attitudes toward healthy lifestyles and PCOS management would be helpful to mitigate the risk and impact of PCOS in this population.