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Case-control study, 2011

Does personality affect whether athletes develop PMS?

Possibly. Certain personality traits were associated with PMS in athletes, including strong drive for performance, low need for help, and introversion.

Early or limited evidence 25 Brazilian female athletes aged 18-49.

What they did

Case-control study of 25 Brazilian female athletes aged 18-49. PMS was assessed with a symptom diary and personality was measured using a personality inventory.

What they found

Athletes with PMS showed a strong need for performance, low need for help, introversion, and very low need for change. Those without PMS showed strong need for denial and strong needs for help, dominance, and persistence. Low denial was significantly associated with PMS (p<.05).

What it means for you

Certain personality traits might influence how intensely athletes react to menstrual cycle changes, potentially increasing PMS symptoms. However, this was a very small study in one country, limiting generalizability.

25

athletes studied

p<.05

significance of low denial and PMS association

About the study

Original title
Influence of personality on pre-menstrual syndrome in athletes
Authors
Gaion PA, Vieira LF
Journal
The Spanish journal of psychology
Year
2011
Study design
Case-control study
Participants
25
What was tested
Assessment only (no treatment).

Topics