Study, 2022
How does the menstrual cycle affect teenage girls' physical and mental health?
Teenage girls aged 13-16 showed worsening of premenstrual symptoms, emotional wellbeing, and school adjustment during the premenstrual phase compared to after menstruation. Physical health was an important factor.
What they did
The study compared two phases of the menstrual cycle (premenstrual and post-menstrual) in teenage girls aged 13-16 in grades 8-10. Researchers measured premenstrual symptoms, coping strategies, wellbeing, and school adjustment using four different questionnaires.
What they found
Girls in the premenstrual phase showed worsening on all measures: more premenstrual symptoms, fewer effective coping strategies, lower emotional wellbeing, lower psychological wellbeing, lower spiritual wellbeing, and poorer school adjustment. Girls in the post-menstrual phase showed stronger coping skills and better school adjustment.
What it means for you
Teenage girls experience real changes in both physical and mental health tied to their menstrual cycle, with the premenstrual phase being particularly difficult. Physical and mental health are closely connected to menstruation during adolescence. The main limitation is that the abstract does not specify how many girls were studied, making it difficult to judge the study's size.
13-16
girls' age range
About the study
- Original title
- Impact of menstruation on physical and mental health of young adolescent girls
- Authors
- Shinu Kochhar, Sanjay Ghosh
- Journal
- International Journal of Health Sciences
- Year
- 2022
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- None - observational study comparing two phases of the menstrual cycle
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6ns2.6627
Topics
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