--- title: Is period pain common in Polish women and what causes it? | Niyora description: Period pain is very common, affecting 94% of Polish women. It's linked to family history, lack of exercise, and low self-esteem, though this is a cross-sectio url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/dysmenorrhea-and-associated-factors-among-polish-women-a-cross-sectional-study-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is period pain common in Polish women and what causes it? Survey study, 2020 # Is period pain common in Polish women and what causes it? Period pain is very common, affecting 94% of Polish women. It's linked to family history, lack of exercise, and low self-esteem, though this is a cross-sectional study so we cannot be sure these things cause it. Moderate study design 1,127 Polish women, mean age 23 ## What they did Cross-sectional online questionnaire study of 1,127 Polish women with an average age of 23. The questionnaire had 19 questions about age, weight, education, where they lived, menstrual factors like PMS and family history, and lifestyle habits like diet, alcohol, smoking, and exercise. ## What they found 94% of women had dysmenorrhea (painful periods). It was more common in women with a family history of dysmenorrhea, those who were not physically active, and those with low self-esteem. There was no relationship with diet, smoking, body weight, or alcohol intake. ## What it means for you Period pain is a very common problem in Poland linked to family history, activity levels, and mental health. However, this study cannot prove these things cause period pain. Results may differ in other countries. 94% had dysmenorrhea 1,127 women studied 23 years mean age ## About the study Original title Dysmenorrhea and Associated Factors among Polish Women: A Cross-Sectional Study Authors Barcikowska Z, Wójcik-Bilkiewicz K, Sobierajska-Rek A et al. Journal Pain research & management Year 2020 Study design Survey study Participants 1,317 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1155/2020/6161536](https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/6161536) Original abstract Purpose: The aim of the research was to conduct an assessment of the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and associated factors among Polish women. Patients and Methods . A cross-sectional study was conducted among Polish women using an online questionnaire. The mean age of the participants was 23 ± 4 years. Out of the total of 1,317 women who took part in the study, 1,127 were included in the analysis, and 190 were excluded due to incomplete answers. The questionnaire consisted of 19 questions that were grouped into three parts. The first concerned sociodemographic data such as age, weight, education, and residence (urban or rural). The second part of the questionnaire pertained to the factors of dysmenorrhea (premenstrual syndrome, age of menarche, and family history of dysmenorrhea.). In the third part, the women were asked about their diet, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, and physical activity. Results: Dysmenorrhea affected 94% of the interviewed women. Dysmenorrhea was most likely to occur among respondents whose mothers had a history of dysmenorrhea ( p p p p p =0.005), lack of physical activity ( p =0.037), and self-esteem ( p =0.042). However, in the respondents, no significant relationship was observed between dysmenorrhea and diet, smoking, body mass index, and alcohol intake. Conclusion: The study points to the fact that the problem of dysmenorrhea affects many Polish women. Women with dysmenorrhea were characterized with a family history of dysmenorrhea, occurrence of PMS, early age of menarche, stressful lifestyle, lack of physical activity, and low self-esteem. We suggest that further assessment of factors contributing for dysmenorrhea among women is necessary. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Alcohol, smoking and substance use](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-substance-use/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2026 Are diet and lifestyle linked to premenstrual symptoms in college students? Study, 2024 How do lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and stress affect menstrual health and PMS? Cohort study, 2019 How do exercise, diet and weight affect menstrual problems? Survey study, 2025 How common are period pain and PMS in Spanish university students, and do lifestyle choices affect them? Survey study, 2014 Does how much girls exercise affect their PMS symptoms? Cohort study, 2026 Do sleep, exercise, and diet quality affect period pain, heavy bleeding, and PMS in midlife? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗