Does PMS and PMDD reduce quality of life compared to women without these conditions?

Introduction: Premenstrual syndrome can lead to numerous problems for women and increase their susceptibility to depression compared to men. PMS is not a serious threat, but it can influence women's quality of life and mental health and reproductive. This research was conducted to compare the quality of life (QOL) in the three groups: women with premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and general population in Yazd (a city in the center of Iran). Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 246 women referring to Yazd health centers. They were voluntarily or randomly selected. Data collection tools were quality of life questionnaire SF36 and the premenstrual syndrome screening tool. Obtained data were analyzed by SPSS18.0 with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney test for comparison groups on SF-36 subscales. Results: Among samples, 102(41.5%) had premenstrual syndrome (PMS), in 20(8.1%) the diagnostic characteristics for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) were found, and 124 (50.4%) were in general population (GP) group, respectively. Comparison groups with Kruskal-Wallis test on SF-36 subscales showed that except for physical function in other components of quality of life, PMS and PMDD groups and non-clinical populations were significantly different (p< 0.05). Considering the Mann-Whitney test, women with PMDD reported a poor health-related quality of life as measured by the SF-36. Women with PMS and PMDD had lower mean score especially in the aspect of role limitation- emotional problems. Conclusion: Quality of life is significantly affected by premenstrual symptoms, especially in the aspect of role limitation- emotional problems. Further studies and training program regarding PMS is recommended to improve the quality of life in this population, particularly for those experiencing severe premenstrual disorders.

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