Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Ovarian Cysts among Female Pharmacy Students in Bangladesh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64048/hir.v2n1.004Keywords:
Ovarian Cysts, Knowledge Attitude Practice, Pharmacy Students, Reproductive Health, Bangladesh, Cross-sectional Study, Gynecological AwarenessAbstract
Background Ovarian cysts are a prevalent gynecological condition that may affect women’s reproductive health. In Bangladesh, limited awareness and sociocultural barriers often delay timely care. Female pharmacy students, as future healthcare professionals, are an important group for assessing baseline reproductive health knowledge and practices. This study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding ovarian cysts among female pharmacy students in Bangladesh.
Methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted from 1 September to 30 September 2025 using a structured, online self-administered questionnaire. A total of 474 female undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy students from public and private universities participated; of these, 448 with complete KAP responses were included in the categorical classification, subgroup, and regression analyses, while item-level frequencies are reported for all 474. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests in IBM SPSS Statistics. Proportions were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results Overall, 54.7% (95% CI: 50.0–59.3) of participants had poor knowledge of ovarian cysts, 26.3% (95% CI: 22.3–30.6) demonstrated moderate knowledge, and only 19.0% (95% CI: 15.5–22.9) had good knowledge. Nearly half of the respondents (46.4%, 95% CI: 41.7–51.1) incorrectly identified the uterus as the site of ovarian cyst development, while 34.2% (95% CI: 29.8–38.8) correctly reported that most ovarian cysts are benign. Awareness of symptoms and management was inconsistent, with fewer than half recognizing spontaneous resolution of functional cysts. Attitudes toward ovarian cysts were predominantly neutral (53.8%), while 35.7% showed positive attitudes and 10.5% reported negative attitudes.
Conclusion Although attitudes and self-reported practices toward ovarian cysts were relatively positive, substantial knowledge gaps and inconsistent preventive behaviors were identified. These findings highlight the need for strengthened reproductive health education and targeted awareness programs within pharmacy curricula in Bangladesh.
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The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Md. Al Amin, Tasfia Tabassum, Tania Akter Ripa, Suriya Akter Shrity, Md. Nayeem Chowdhury, Joy Sarker (Author)
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