---
title: How do social support and physical activity affect PMS? | Niyora
description: Women with more social support and those who exercised more had fewer PMS symptoms. Socioeconomic status and age also played a role.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/a-communicative-model-of-premenstrual-syndrome-with-social-determinants-of-2025/
---

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- How do social support and physical activity affect PMS?

Survey study, 2025

# How do social support and physical activity affect PMS?

Women with more social support and those who exercised more had fewer PMS symptoms. Socioeconomic status and age also played a role.

 Early or limited evidence

600 women from health centers in Tehran

## What they did

Researchers conducted a snapshot study of 600 women at health centers in Tehran. They recorded social support, physical activity, socioeconomic status, age, and history of intimate partner violence, then looked at how these related to PMS symptoms.

## What they found

Social support directly reduced PMS symptoms (B=-0.29). Physical activity directly reduced PMS symptoms (B=-0.35). Socioeconomic status indirectly reduced PMS (B=-0.22), and younger age was protective (B=0.07). The overall model fit the data well.

## What it means for you

Increasing social support and physical activity may help with PMS, and financial stability may also be important. This is an observational study, so we cannot prove these factors cause less PMS. The study was limited to Tehran, so results may not apply elsewhere.

600

women studied

-0.29

social support effect

-0.35

physical activity effect

## About the study

Original title A communicative model of premenstrual syndrome with social determinants of health: a path analysis Authors Vakili F, Nasiri M, Jahanfar S et al. Journal BMC women's health Year 2025 Study design Survey study Participants 600 What was tested Social support, physical activity, socioeconomic status Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03745-9](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03745-9)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Legal and forensic](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-legal-crime/)[Economic burden](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-economic-burden/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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