---
title: Does being physically active lower the risk of PMS in college students?
description: It looks that way. Female college students with higher physical activity levels had a lower risk of premenstrual syndrome, but this is based on a small number
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/association-between-physical-activity-and-risk-of-premenstrual-syndrome-among-2024/
---

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- Does being physically active lower the risk of PMS in college students?

Systematic review, 2024

# Does being physically active lower the risk of PMS in college students?

It looks that way. Female college students with higher physical activity levels had a lower risk of premenstrual syndrome, but this is based on a small number of studies.

 Moderate study design

Female college students across multiple studies

## What they did

Researchers searched three databases and combined results from five studies on physical activity and PMS risk in female college students. They used statistical methods (odds ratios) to pool the results and checked for bias.

## What they found

Higher physical activity was linked to lower PMS risk (OR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.09-1.96, P = .011). This result held up even after accounting for study region and other factors, and no publication bias was found.

## What it means for you

Being more physically active may help reduce the chance of developing PMS in college-age women, though the finding comes from only five studies rated as moderate quality, so more research would make this more certain.

1.46

Odds ratio for physical activity and PMS risk

1.09-1.96

Confidence interval

5

Number of studies combined

## About the study

Original title Association between physical activity and risk of premenstrual syndrome among female college students: a systematic review and meta-analysis Authors Yang H, Ma Y, Wang Y et al. Journal BMC women's health Year 2024 Study design Systematic review What was tested Level of physical activity (not a specific prescribed exercise program) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-03147-3](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-03147-3) Original abstract

Background: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between physical activity and the risk of premenstrual syndrome among college students. Methods: Eligible studies were searched from the PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases. The link between physical activity and the risk of premenstrual syndrome was evaluated using odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The heterogeneity of the included studies was tested and their sources were explored by subgroup analysis. A sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effect of a single study on the pooled results. The included studies were evaluated for publication bias. Five moderate-quality studies were included in this meta-analysis. Results: Physical activity levels were negatively associated with risk of premenstrual syndrome among college students (OR [95%CI] = 1.46 [1.09, 1.96], P = .011). The pooled results were not influenced after being stratified by the study region and whether multi-factor correction was performed or not. Publication bias was not observed in the included studies. Conclusion: A high level of physical activity is dramatically associated with a reduced risk of premenstrual syndrome among female college students.

Reproduced under CC-BY.

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)

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