Abstract
Background
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive-aged women, linked to metabolic, hormonal, and psychological issues. Management typically involves lifestyle changes, including increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviour.
Objectives
To compare the health profiles and behaviours of women with and without PCOS.
Design
This study analysed data from the UK Biobank, which is a prospective cohort study.
Methods
Women with PCOS in the UK Biobank were identified, while age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls were randomly selected. Data on factors associated with PCOS severity and self-reported lifestyle behaviours were analysed. Group differences were tested for significance, and participants were categorised by health behaviours to assess morbidity risk.
Results
The study included 319 women with PCOS (mean age: 43.9 years) and 638 in each control group. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in anthropometric (e.g. body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference, and body fat), cardio-metabolic (e.g. blood pressure, triglycerides, and glycated haemoglobin), and androgenic (e.g. sex hormone-binding globulin) indices. Differences were most pronounced between PCOS and age-matched controls but remained when BMI was also considered. Women with PCOS engaged in less vigorous physical activity and had higher screen time and sedentary behaviours. Those with the lowest physical activity and highest sedentary time had the worst health profiles and highest morbidity risk, regardless of group.
Conclusion
Women with PCOS exhibit poorer health despite only slight lifestyle differences. Across all participants, lower physical activity and higher sedentary behaviour were linked to increased health risks. Further research is needed to clarify causal relationships between lifestyle factors and PCOS.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive-aged women, linked to metabolic, hormonal, and psychological issues. Management typically involves lifestyle changes, including increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviour.
Objectives
To compare the health profiles and behaviours of women with and without PCOS.
Design
This study analysed data from the UK Biobank, which is a prospective cohort study.
Methods
Women with PCOS in the UK Biobank were identified, while age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls were randomly selected. Data on factors associated with PCOS severity and self-reported lifestyle behaviours were analysed. Group differences were tested for significance, and participants were categorised by health behaviours to assess morbidity risk.
Results
The study included 319 women with PCOS (mean age: 43.9 years) and 638 in each control group. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in anthropometric (e.g. body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference, and body fat), cardio-metabolic (e.g. blood pressure, triglycerides, and glycated haemoglobin), and androgenic (e.g. sex hormone-binding globulin) indices. Differences were most pronounced between PCOS and age-matched controls but remained when BMI was also considered. Women with PCOS engaged in less vigorous physical activity and had higher screen time and sedentary behaviours. Those with the lowest physical activity and highest sedentary time had the worst health profiles and highest morbidity risk, regardless of group.
Conclusion
Women with PCOS exhibit poorer health despite only slight lifestyle differences. Across all participants, lower physical activity and higher sedentary behaviour were linked to increased health risks. Further research is needed to clarify causal relationships between lifestyle factors and PCOS.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Women's health (London, England) |
| Volume | 21 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 21 Nov 2025 |
Bibliographical note
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).Data Access Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available upon request from the UK Biobank. The authors of this paper are not authorised to directly share the dataset.Funding
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was completed as part of a funded PhD project (CK) through Aston University. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Keywords
- Metabolism
- Exercise
- Health risk
- PCOS
- Co-morbidity
- Sedentary Behaviour
- Women’s Health
- Humans
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Androgens
- Body Mass Index
- Case-Control Studies
- Prospective Studies
- Health Behavior
- Life Style
- Adult
- Middle Aged
- Biological Specimen Banks
- Female
- United Kingdom
- Sedentary Behavior
- UK Biobank