Survey study, 2010
How much do premenstrual symptoms interfere with women's daily activities?
Most women (74%) have little or no impact on daily activities from PMS. One in four women are affected, with 17% having clinically significant interference and 9% severely affected. Physical and mental symptoms cause similar amounts of disruption.
What they did
Cross-sectional survey of 1,202 women aged 15 to 49 years in Hong Kong, Pakistan, and Thailand. Face-to-face interviews measured impact of 23 premenstrual symptoms on six areas of daily activities using regression analysis.
What they found
74% of women were not affected or minimally affected in daily activities. 17% had clinically significant effects on daily activities. 9% were severely affected. Physical and mental symptom domains had similar negative effects on daily activities. Symptom severity was the main predictor of impact. Women using oral contraceptive pills and women in Pakistan reported less impact, while married women reported more impact.
What it means for you
Most women with PMS manage their daily activities well, but one in four have real problems. How severe the symptoms are matters much more than what type of symptom it is. The study is limited because it relies on self-reported symptoms without clinical confirmation, is cross-sectional, and includes only three countries.
74%
not affected or minimally affected
17%
clinically significant effects on activities
9%
severely affected
About the study
- Original title
- Asian study of effects of premenstrual symptoms on activities of daily life
- Authors
- Dennerstein L, Lehert P, Keung LS et al.
- Journal
- Menopause international
- Year
- 2010
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 1,202
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1258/mi.2010.010035
Topics
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