Survey study, 2025
What factors are linked to PMS in female graduate students?
40% experienced PMS. Stress, period pain, use of menstrual delaying medicine, and earlier menarche were significantly linked to higher PMS risk.
What they did
Researchers surveyed 285 female graduate students at a Nepali university about their menstrual symptoms, stress levels, and health factors using standardized questionnaires.
What they found
40% reported PMS. The most common physical symptoms were joint or muscle pain (56.49%), breast tenderness (45.26%), abdominal pain (44.91%), acne flare-ups (40.35%), and fatigue (35.09%). Stress, dysmenorrhea, taking menstrual delaying medicine, and having early menarche were all significantly associated with PMS.
What it means for you
Stress and period pain may be linked to PMS. Menstrual delaying medicines and early menarche may increase risk. This study cannot prove cause and effect, included only one university, and had no control group for comparison.
40%
had PMS
56.49%
joint or muscle pain (most common)
45.26%
breast tenderness
About the study
- Original title
- Factors associated with premenstrual symptoms: a study among graduate-level students of the institute of science and technology, Tribhuvan university
- Authors
- Rijal S, Shrestha G
- Journal
- BMC women's health
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 285
- What was tested
- Observational study (no intervention tested)
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03925-7
Topics
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