Search

Introduction: Eating disorders are an important factor in menstrual cycle disorders in girls. Moreover, low self-esteem among adolescent girls may be a risk factor for eating disorders. The aim of the study was to assess the menstrual cycle, eating habits and self-esteem of Polish adolescents.Methods: The study was conducted from January 2014 to March 2015 and included 623 girls, aged 15-19, from randomly selected junior high schools in Silesia, Poland, in which their menstrual cycle, risk of eating disorders and self-esteem were evaluated. A five-part questionnaire was used to assess basic demographic data, lifestyle and physical activity, gynecological history, as well as Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES) and Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26).Results: Irregular menstrual cycles were observed in 236 (37.88%) girls; 5.20% presented secondary amenorrhea. Based on the EAT-26 test, 101 (16.21%) girls were indicated being at risk for an eating disorder. Low self-esteem was observed in 340 (54.57%) study girls on the base of SES.Discussion: Girls with irregular menses had higher scores on the EAT-26 test in subscales: EAT-overall score, EAT-diet and EAT-bulimia, while lower scores on the SES. In our study, we did not observe a significant relationship between exercise intensity, body mass, BMI and menstrual cycle regularity. Low self-esteem among adolescent girls may be a risk factor for eating disorders which could interrupt the menstrual cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies and it manifests itself in about 4-12% women of reproductive age. The Rotterdam, AES and NIH criteria can be used to diagnose PCOS in adults but there are no specific criteria to diagnose PCOS in adolescent girls. Most authors agree that applying criteria for adult to teenagers leads to overdiagnosis because of similarity in physiological changes during puberty and common PCOS symptoms. Tightening of the current criteria and including new, not widely accepted yet, was proposed. Currently it seems justifiable to diagnose PCOS in adolescent girls using the Rotterdam criteria, on condition that all three symptoms are present, hyperandrogenism is established in laboratory tests and pelvic ultrasound reveals an increased ovarian volume (> 10 ml). Nevertheless, the necessity of more research and establishing specific criteria for adolescent girls is emphasized.