Survey study, 2002
Do women with irregular menstrual cycles experience more menstrual symptoms?
Yes, women with irregular cycles experienced about twice as many menstrual symptoms as women with regular cycles.
What they did
114 college women recorded when their periods started for 6 to 8 cycles and filled out a questionnaire about menstrual symptoms. Researchers compared symptom experience between women with irregular cycles and women with regular cycles.
What they found
Women with irregular cycles experienced twice as many menstrual symptoms as women with regular cycles. This finding remained true when researchers used a stricter definition of irregular cycles based on the actual recorded cycle dates.
What it means for you
If you have an irregular menstrual cycle, you are likely to experience more menstrual symptoms than women with regular cycles. The main limitation is that this study only included college women, so results may not apply to all women, especially different age groups or cultures.
114
college women in study
6 to 8
menstrual cycles tracked per woman
2
times more symptoms experienced with irregular cycles
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual irregularity and menstrual symptoms
- Authors
- Weller A, Weller L
- Journal
- Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.)
- Year
- 2002
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None - observational study.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/08964280209596042
Topics
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