Abstract: Objective: To develop a health education program for improving the lifestyles of patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and evaluate its impact on the lifestyle and Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) of those patients, serving as a clinical reference for health promotion. Methods: Based on the transtheoretical model, we searched literature and conducted expert correspondence to construct a health education program. From March 2023 to February 2024, 106 patients with PCOS were recruited by convenience sampling from a gynecology outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Lanzhou City for a randomized controlled trial. Using a random number table, patients were selected into the control group (n=53) receiving traditional health education, and the experimental group (n=53) receiving health education that was based on the transtheoretical model. Changes in health promotion lifestyle, KAP, and quality of life were compared between the two groups of patients before the intervention, at the third month and sixth month after the intervention. Results: Totally 45 patients in the control group and 46 in the experimental group completed the trial. At the third month and sixth month after the intervention, both groups experienced significant changes in health promotion lifestyle (interaction effect F=13.284, P<0.001; time effect F=42.271, P<0.001), KAP (interaction effect F=6.461, P=0.005; time effect F=29.470, P<0.001; between-group effect F=4.231, P=0.043), and quality of life (interaction effect F=13.113, P<0.001; time effect F=14.415, P<0.001). Conclusion: Health education based on the transtheoretical model can help PCOS patients change their unhealthy lifestyles, improve their KAP and life quality.

Key words: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; transtheoretical model; Delphi technique; health education; health-promoting lifestyle; KAP; quality of life