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Survey study, 2022

What complementary and alternative medicine do adolescents with PMS use?

73% of adolescents with PMS used complementary or alternative medicine, most commonly green tea (49.5%), chamomile (32.5%), prayer (65.5%), and exercise (54.4%). The study documents what people use but not whether these approaches work.

Early or limited evidence 367 adolescents with premenstrual syndrome

What they did

Cross-sectional survey of 367 adolescents with premenstrual syndrome. Participants completed a three-part questionnaire about their demographics, menstrual cycle, premenstrual symptoms, and use of complementary and alternative medicine.

What they found

73% of adolescents with PMS used complementary or alternative medicine. The most preferred herbal supplements were green tea (49.5%), chamomile (32.5%), sage (23.8%), and thyme (18.6%). The most used mind-body practices were prayer (65.5%), exercise (54.4%), and namaz (32.4%). Only 23.2% consulted a physician and 10.9% used prescribed medication.

What it means for you

Most adolescents with PMS choose herbal supplements and mind-body approaches instead of seeing a doctor or using medication. The main limitation is that this study only documents what people use, not whether these treatments actually work.

367

adolescents surveyed

73%

used complementary or alternative medicine

49.5%

used green tea

About the study

Original title
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Used by Adolescents in Premenstrual Syndrome- A Cross-Sectional Study:
Authors
Ayşe Elkoca, Beliz Yekeler Kahraman, Handan Özcan et al.
Journal
Progress in nutrition
Year
2022
Study design
Survey study
Participants
367
What was tested
None
Open access
Yes

Topics