How many university students have PMDD and do they know about it?

Background: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a debilitating form of premenstrual syndrome that significantly disrupts daily life. Given its profound impact on quality of life, understanding its prevalence and awareness is essential. This study aimed to assess the awareness, prevalence, and coping strategies related to PMDD among female university students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 896 participants aged 18-25 years, recruited from various universities through convenience sampling. Data were collected via an online survey consisting of 25 items that included socio-demographic information, menstrual history, physical activity, diet, and PMDD symptoms assessed by the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST). The survey also evaluated participants' awareness of PMDD and their coping measures. Ethical approval was obtained from the Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University Institutional Review Board. Results: In total, 39.9% of participants met the criteria for PMDD, with 43.1% being health college students. Notably, 58.5% reported prior knowledge of PMDD. Coping strategies included normalization and awareness was 36.4% and frequently recognizing physical and emotional changes was 37.5%. Conclusion: PMDD is prevalent among the female university students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Also, there is a notable level of awareness regarding PMDD among the participants. This underscores the need for enhanced health education and clinical recognition of PMDD in this population.

Reproduced under CC-BY.