Exploring the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students regarding protection from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): a cross-sectional study

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a growing health concern among women of reproductive age, requiring early awareness and preventive strategies to reduce long-term complications. Understanding nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes is essential, as they are future caregivers responsible for promoting education, early detection, and lifestyle-based prevention of PCOS. The study aims to explore the level of knowledge and attitudes of nursing students regarding protection from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 399 purposively selected nursing students from the Faculty of Nursing at Delta University for Science and Technology, the Faculty of Nursing at Damietta University, the Faculty of Nursing at Port Said University, and the Technical Institute of Nursing in Sherbin, Egypt. Data were collected using a predesigned structured questionnaire composed of three sections: socio-demographic characteristics, the Nursing Students’ Knowledge about PCOS section, and the Nursing Students’ Attitude Toward Protection from PCOS section. The questionnaire was administered in both paper-based and online formats. The study was conducted over three months duration from September to November 2025. The study included 399 participants. The majority were aged 20–21 years (150; 37.6%) and in their third academic year (153; 38.3%). Most participants (348; 87.2%) reported no family history of PCOS. Lectures were the most frequently cited source of information (169; 42.4%), followed by social media (142; 35.6%). Overall, participants’ knowledge of PCOS was generally fair to good, with 180 (45.1%) having fair knowledge and 176 (44.1%) having good knowledge. The vast majority (360; 90.2%) demonstrated a positive attitude toward PCOS, whereas only 2 participants (0.5%) reported a negative attitude and 37 (9.3%) expressed a neutral attitude. A modest positive correlation was observed between knowledge and attitudes. This study showed that nursing students possessed overall fair to good knowledge of PCOS; however, several important knowledge gaps were evident. In particular, more than half correctly identified long-term complications, recognized the diagnostic criteria, and only about one third were able to identify key clinical manifestations—including commonly reported symptoms such as hair loss, which was the least recognized symptom among participants. Despite these gaps, attitudes toward PCOS prevention were overwhelmingly positive, with strong endorsement of lifestyle modification, early screening, and university-based awareness efforts. These findings underscore the need for strengthened curricular coverage of PCOS—especially nuanced clinical features and diagnostic elements—to better equip future nurses for evidence-based reproductive health practice.