---
title: Do cultural attitudes about menstruation influence how severely women experience premenstrual symptoms?
description: Cultural background and negative messages about menstruation were linked to reporting more severe symptoms. However, evidence suggests attitudes may be shaped
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/exploring-the-bio-psycho-social-approach-to-premenstrual-experiences-1999/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Do cultural attitudes about menstruation influence how severely women experience premenstrual symptoms?

Cohort study, 1999

# Do cultural attitudes about menstruation influence how severely women experience premenstrual symptoms?

Cultural background and negative messages about menstruation were linked to reporting more severe symptoms. However, evidence suggests attitudes may be shaped by actual experiences rather than causing them.

 Early or limited evidence

229 Israeli students of different ethnic groups and gender role orientations

## What they did

A cross-sectional study of 229 Israeli students from different ethnic backgrounds and gender role orientations. Researchers asked about their attitudes toward menstruation and their premenstrual experiences.

## What they found

Women from more traditional backgrounds and those exposed to negative messages during adolescence reported more severe premenstrual experiences. However, statistical models indicated that attitudes toward menstruation depend on premenstrual experiences rather than predicting them.

## What it means for you

Cultural beliefs and family messages appear linked to how women report premenstrual symptoms, but it is unclear whether beliefs cause worse symptoms or whether having symptoms influences beliefs. This shows the complexity of studying menstrual experiences across cultures. The study only included Israeli students, so findings may not apply to other populations.

229

Number of students studied

## About the study

Original title Exploring the bio-psycho--social approach to premenstrual experiences Authors Anson O Journal Social science & medicine (1982) Year 1999 Study design Cohort study Participants 229 What was tested None (observational) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0277-9536(99)00079-9](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0277-9536(99)00079-9)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

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, 1999

What causes negative mood during menopause?

Study, 2026

What coping strategies help women manage PMS symptoms?

Survey study, 2025

What psychological and personal factors predict which university students will develop premenstrual syndrome?

Survey study, 2025

Does the premenstrual period explain why evening-type sleep patterns cause more sleep schedule mismatch?

Survey study, 2024

Which lifestyle choices affect PMS symptoms?

Survey study, 2024

Does education about PMS help couples' satisfaction and adjustment?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗