PD452 - EATING BEHAVIOR AND FOOD NEOPHOBIA IN PCOS: THE ROLE OF DIETARY PATTERNS

PD452

EATING BEHAVIOR AND FOOD NEOPHOBIA IN PCOS: THE ROLE OF DIETARY PATTERNS

S. Gezer^1,*, E. Uluğ², M. S. Aksun Şahin³, S. Soysal⁴, A. Açıkgöz Pınar⁵, O. B. Yıldız³

¹Faculty of Health Sciences,Nutrition and Dietetics, Marmara University, Istanbul, ²Faculty of Health Sciences,Nutrition and Dietetics, Atatürk University, Erzurum, ³Faculty of Medicine, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Hacettepe University, Ankara, ⁴Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, ⁵Faculty of Health Sciences,Nutrition and Dietetics, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye

Rationale: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism and ovulatory dysfunction. Dietary management is central to its treatment; however, evidence on the relationship between dietary patterns, eating behavior, and food neophobia is limited. This study aimed to investigate these associations in women with PCOS.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 102 women diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria. Dietary intake over the past three months was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were identified by principal component analysis (PCA) and categorized as Western (n=30), healthy (n=34), and protein-rich (n=38). Eating behavior and food neophobia were assessed using validated instruments, including the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q-13) and the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS). 

Results: EDE-Q subscale and total scores did not differ significantly across dietary pattern groups (p>0.05). Regression analysis showed that adherence to the Western dietary pattern was positively associated with binge eating (B=0.321, p=0.028). Higher scores for shape and weight concerns, body dissatisfaction, and total eating disorder symptoms were observed in the Western group, but differences were not statistically significant. A higher proportion of food neophobia was observed in the healthy dietary pattern group; however, this finding was not statistically significant (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Adherence to a Western dietary pattern was associated with increased binge eating in women with PCOS, highlighting a potential behavioral pathway linking diet quality to disordered eating. Although overall eating behavior and food neophobia were not significantly associated with dietary patterns, these findings underscore the importance of considering dietary patterns in the behavioral management of PCOS.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared