--- title: How many university students have dysmenorrhea and PMS, and what causes them? description: 85.1% had dysmenorrhea and 72.8% had PMS. Family history was the strongest risk factor for both. Regular menstrual cycles were protective against dysmenorrhea url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-problems-and-associated-factors-among-students-of-bahir-dar-university-2014/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How many university students have dysmenorrhea and PMS, and what causes them? Survey study, 2014 # How many university students have dysmenorrhea and PMS, and what causes them? 85.1% had dysmenorrhea and 72.8% had PMS. Family history was the strongest risk factor for both. Regular menstrual cycles were protective against dysmenorrhea. Moderate study design 470 Ethiopian university students ## What they did 491 university students at Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia were surveyed. 470 completed the questionnaire about menstrual problems, cycle regularity, family history, and other factors. ## What they found 85.1% had dysmenorrhea and 72.8% had PMS. Having a family history of dysmenorrhea increased risk 3.8 times. Having a family history of PMS increased risk 4.19 times. Having an irregular menstrual cycle increased PMS risk 1.87 times. ## What it means for you Menstrual problems are extremely common in university students. Family history is the strongest predictor for both dysmenorrhea and PMS. The study was limited to one university in Ethiopia. 85.1% had dysmenorrhea 72.8% had premenstrual syndrome 4.19 risk increase with family history of PMS ## About the study Original title Menstrual problems and associated factors among students of Bahir Dar University, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional survey Authors Shiferaw MT, Wubshet M, Tegabu D Journal The Pan African medical journal Year 2014 Study design Survey study Participants 491 What was tested None - observational survey Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2014.17.246.2230](https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2014.17.246.2230) Original abstract Introduction: Menstrual problems are the most common gynecologic complaints. The prevalence is highest in the 20 to 24-year-old age group and decreases progressively thereafter. They affect not only the woman, but also family, social and national economics as well. However, Population studies on Menstrual problems and associated factors were very little for university students in Ethiopia. Methods: Institutional based quantitative cross-sectional study was employed at Bahir Dar University from October 14 to 20, 2010, Ethiopia. Stratified sampling technique was used and 491 study subjects were randomly selected from faculties. Only 470 respondents had given complete response for the self-administered questionnaire and were included in the final analysis. Data was entered and analyzed with SPSS version 16.0 windows. The main statistical method applied was logistic regression (unconditional) and both the classical bivariate and the multivariate analyses were considered. Results: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome were 85.1% and 72.8%, respectively. The most contributing factors remained to be statistically significant and independently associated with dysmenorrhea were having menstrual cycle length of 21-35 days (AOR=0.16, 95%CI: 0.04, 0.71), family history of dysmenorrhea (AOR=3.80, 95%CI: 2.13, 6.78) and circumcision (AOR=1.84, 95%CI: 1.001, 3.386) while with premenstrual syndrome were educational status of mothers being certified in certificate and beyond (AOR=0.45, 95%CI: 0.25, 0.83), living in Peda campus (AOR=2.11, 95%: 1.30, 3.45), having irregular menstruation (AOR=1.87, 95%CI: 1.17, 2.99) and family history of premenstrual syndrome (AOR=4.19, 95%CI: 2.60, 6.74). Conclusion: The prevalence of menstrual problems among students of Bahir Dar University was very high. Menstrual cycle length, family history of dysmenorrhea and circumcision were the most contributing factors associated with dysmenorrhea while educational status of mothers, regularity of menstruation, and family history of premenstrual syndrome were for premenstrual syndrome. Health education, appropriate medical treatment and counseling, should be accessible and persistently provided to the affected students by Bahir Dar University. Maximum effort is needed to eliminate circumcision by all levels and further steps that would enable females to join their college education should be applied. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Psychotherapy, counselling and education](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-psychotherapy/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Survey study, 2026 Do female medical students living in hostels have worse PMS than those who commute? Survey study, 2024 Does diet affect menstrual disorders including PMS? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS, PMDD, anxiety, and depression in rural adolescent girls? Cohort study, 2020 How common are PMS and painful periods in female medical students, and do they affect school attendance? Survey study, 2018 How many university students have menstrual problems, and is stress related to them? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗