Survey study, 2011
How common are period pain and PMS in Korean teenage girls?
Very common. 82% of girls experienced painful periods and 58.8% experienced PMS symptoms. Most girls didn't seek medical help.
What they did
Researchers surveyed 538 teenage girls at a hospital between July and November 2007 about their periods, including when they started menstruating, pain, and PMS symptoms.
What they found
Girls first got their period at an average age of 12.6 years. 82% had painful periods with the main pain in the abdomen (53.2%) and lower back (34.2%). Only 15.2% of girls with period pain took medication. 58.8% had premenstrual syndrome symptoms, mainly fatigue (36.4%), nervousness (38.7%), and menstrual cramps (46.5%). 87.6% didn't take medicine for their PMS symptoms, 11.4% took painkillers, and only 0.1% visited a doctor.
What it means for you
Period pain and PMS are very common in teenage girls, but most don't get medical help. The study found that family history was linked to period pain. The main limit is that this is a single hospital survey from 2007.
82%
girls with painful periods
58.8%
girls with PMS symptoms
12.6 years
average age at first menstruation
About the study
- Original title
- A study on the menstruation of Korean adolescent girls in Seoul
- Authors
- Lee JC, Yu BK, Byeon JH et al.
- Journal
- Korean journal of pediatrics
- Year
- 2011
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 435
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3345/kjp.2011.54.5.201
Topics
Related studies
Cohort study, 2025
How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it?
Survey study, 2017
Does painful menstruation affect adolescent girls' mood, emotions, sleep, and thinking?
Cohort study, 2026
What menstrual and premenstrual problems do girls with intellectual disability experience?
Survey study, 2015
How common is PMS in teenage school girls in an urban city in India?
Survey study, 2015
How common is PMS among teenage girls in rural India?
Cohort study, 2006
How should severe period pain in teenagers be treated?