Title: Comparison of premenstrual symptoms, psychological well-being, and nutritional status
between Palestinian women with and without polycystic ovarian syndrome: a case-control study
Version: 2 Date: 30 Jan 2024
Reviewer:  Farideh Zafari Zangeneh
Reviewer's report:
Dear Authors
Abstract
In my opinion, it is better for the authors to refer to the research on the Palestinian population in
the summary and even the title of the article. Because these studies have been done a lot and the
only thing that can have a good justification in this repetition is the studied women's community.
Background
1. Please use the new reference to present the prevalence of polycystic ovary. In the J Hum
Reprod Sci. 2020 Oct-Dec;13(4):261-271, authors through the systematic review article reported
that, our analysis yielded 27 surveys with a pooled mean prevalence of 21.27% using different
diagnostic criteria. The proportion of women with PCOS also increased in the last decade.
2. According to this last part of the introduction, The Palestinian women's society must be in the
title of the article and abstract ‘’According to our knowledge, there are no published research
on the nutritional status, lifestyle, PMS symptoms and mental health of Palestinian women with
PCOS. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors related with PCOS
among Palestinian women, as compared to controls. The findings of this study will aid in the
development of intervention methods for managing the comorbidities associated with PCOS in
order to improve the quality of life of PCOS patients’’.
3. In the introduction you must the link of PMS and PCOS. Is PMS effect on PCO or vice versa
Materials &Methods
1.   Please use of this reference for Rotterdam Criteria ‘’[ESHRE/ASRM] Rotterdam ESHRE/
ASRM-Sponsored PCOS Consensus Workshop Group. 2004. Revised 2003 consensus on
diagnostic criteria and long-term health risks related to polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertility and
Sterility 81:19–25.
2. The age of women from 18 years -??? in the two groups study and control
3. The body mass index (BMI) is necessary, for example under27. Because obese women must
be miss in your study.
4. Assessment of puberty age was not included in the questionnaire, which can be effective.
Discussion
1. Titles must be removed in the discussion section.
2. Regarding the significant finding of PMS in women with polycystic ovaries, please discuss
more about the relationship between PMS and PCOS with the role of progesterone.
3. Any disruptive, cyclical symptom could be a symptom of PMS, and some sources have
suggested that the number of claimed symptoms could exceed even 200. However, some
symptoms are relatively common in PMS. Common emotional and non-specific symptoms
include stress, anxiety, and difficulty with sleep, headache, feeling tired, mood swings, increased
emotional sensitivity, and changes in interest in sex. Problems with concentration and memory
may occur. There may also be depression or anxiety. Most people with premenstrual syndrome
experience only a few of the possible symptoms, in a relatively predictable pattern. Additionally,
which symptoms are accepted as evidence of PMS varies by culture. For example, women in
China report feeling cold but do not report negative affect as part of PMS, while women in the
US report negative affect but not feeling cold as part of PMS.
King, Sally (2020), Bobel, Chris; Winkler, Inga T.; Fahs, Breanne; Hasson, Katie Ann
(eds.), "Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and the Myth of the Irrational Female", The Palgrave
Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies, Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 287–
302, doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_23, ISBN 978-981-15-0613-0, PMID 33347177, S2CID
226733948, retrieved 2023-01-31
According to the report above, PMS symptoms are very similar to PCOS. Why???
It is better to discuss a little about the reason for the similarity between these two syndromes.
Because PMS is a significant finding in your study.