Mission PCOSsible: a campaign to raise awareness of polycystic ovary syndrome in Singapore

• Main Authors: Chua, Cerise Wan Ni, Gan, Gwyneth Yu Qi, Kow, Celeste Hui Shan, Putri Hajar Nabilah Binte Harjanto
• Other Authors: Kang Hyunjin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Social Sciences; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/174464
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This paper presents Mission PCOSsible, a health communications campaign to increase awareness of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) among women in Singapore and encourage early medical intervention if exhibiting symptoms. Despite its global prevalence affecting 10% of females, around 70% of cases remain undiagnosed, potentially leading to severe health risks. Key problems identified were: (1) lack of awareness and knowledge regarding PCOS, (2) limited conversations around PCOS contributing to limited knowledge and support avenues for individuals with PCOS, and (3) lack of confidence in identifying PCOS symptoms. Mission PCOSsible adopts a preventive health approach, targeting women aged 21 to 35 years. Guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM) and insights from qualitative and quantitative research, the campaign developed two strategic pillars: ‘Inform and Educate’ and ‘Cultivating a Community’ comprising three content pillars to tackle key problems: 'Breaking PCOS Silence' shares relevant information about PCOS, addressing lack of awareness; 'Navigating PCOS' offers tips to overcome barriers to medical consultations; and 'Cyst-erhood Conversations' spotlights personal narratives of women with PCOS. The 10-week campaign, from December 2023 to March 2024, leveraged key tactics, including digital content on Instagram and TikTok, a website on PCOS, a YouTube vodcast series and a physical roadshow. A post-campaign survey revealed that the campaign achieved our output objectives and impact objectives—across the HBM constructs, including self-efficacy, perceived barriers, perceived susceptibility, and intention to seek early medical consultation. These findings, with recommendations, provide valuable insights for future PCOS campaigns in Singapore.