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.
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
Topics
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