Master of Science in Nursing Theses
Date Degree Awarded
8-2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.)
School
Nursing
Committee Chair
Chu-Yu Huang, Ph.D., RN
Second Committee Member
Angelia Mickle PhD, RN
Keywords
barriers, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), adolescents
Abstract
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common and reversible endocrine disorder affecting as many as 3.5-5.0 million women in the United States and has serious implications for women from adolescence to beyond menopause. PCOS is characterized by oligo-amenorrhea, anovulation, clinical, biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism, or polycystic ovaries the majority which can be identified in adolescence (ages 13-18). Although the majority of these reproductive and metabolic consequences can be identified in adolescence, diagnosis of PCOS for subsequent early intervention is still not taking place as many women are not being diagnosed until their reproductive years often after seeking the cause of their infertility. No literature could be found on barriers that contribute to the failure of early diagnosis of PCOS in adolescence. There is a gap in the literature investigating the barriers of diagnosing PCOS in adolescents. This was a descriptive study done to: (1) identify factors practitioners consider when determining the diagnosis of PCOS in adolescents (ages 13-18) and (2) identify barriers to early diagnosis of PCOS in adolescents (ages 13-18) among practitioners. Barriers to diagnose PCOS in adolescents will be explored using the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Adolescence questionnaire which was developed by the researcher. The Qualtrics Survey Program was used to submit an electronic survey. Barriers for diagnosing PCOS in adolescents were acknowledged and identified by participants in this study. Because this data was mainly derived from a single group within the practice area, certified nurse practitioners, it is unclear whether these findings can be generalized to other practice areas within the healthcare system. Future investigations should examine whether these barriers do exist amongst other practice areas, can yield enough results to be generalized, and focus on designing interventions to improve the diagnosis of PCOS in adolescents.
DOI
10.15385/tmsn.2014.5
Recommended Citation
Williams, Tara L., "Practitioner’s Perspective on Barriers to Diagnosing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Adolescents: A Descriptive Study" (2014). Master of Science in Nursing Theses. 13.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/nursing_theses/13
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
