Survey study, 2024
Do lifestyle factors like diet and weight affect how bad PMS is?
Yes, in this study of female medical students, higher dietary fat intake and higher BMI were linked to more severe PMS, though this was an observational study that cannot prove cause and effect.
What they did
Researchers surveyed 369 female undergraduate medical students at Maragheh University of Medical Sciences in Iran, between September 2021 and April 2022. Participants filled out online questionnaires about PMS symptoms, physical activity, diet, weight and height. Statistical analysis looked for factors linked to having PMS and to how severe it was.
What they found
About 70% of participants had PMS, and 69% screened positive for more severe PMS symptoms. Higher BMI and higher dietary fat intake were both significantly linked to PMS (p=0.031 and p=0.013). The odds ratio for PMS, BMI, and dietary fat were 10.314, 1.073, and 1.008 respectively.
What it means for you
Body weight and amount of fat in the diet may play a role in how severe PMS symptoms are, suggesting lifestyle changes could be worth exploring. However, this was a one-time survey of young medical students in one Iranian university, so it only shows a link, not proof that changing diet or weight would reduce PMS, and results may not apply to other groups of women.
70%
of participants had PMS
p=0.013
link between dietary fat and PMS severity
p=0.031
link between BMI and PMS severity
About the study
- Original title
- Exploring the Factors Influencing Premenstrual Syndrome and Its Severity: The Role of Lifestyle Determinants
- Authors
- Azadi H, Madani S, Payahoo L et al.
- Journal
- Journal of reproduction & infertility
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 369
- What was tested
- None tested; this was an observational survey, not a treatment trial.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.18502/jri.v25i4.18124
Topics
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