Survey study, 2016
How common are menstrual problems and PMS among teenage girls in rural areas?
More than 6 in 10 girls had PMS symptoms, with abdominal pain, cramping and back pain being most common. Dysmenorrhoea was the most common menstrual problem overall.
What they did
500 teenage girls aged 14-19 in rural Tamil Nadu, India were interviewed using a questionnaire about their menstruation, PMS, menstrual problems and hygiene practices.
What they found
62.2% of girls had PMS symptoms. Among individual symptoms: abdominal pain (94.6%), cramps (82.2%), back pain (77.8%). Among menstrual problems: dysmenorrhoea (65%), oligomenorrhoea (16%), menorhagia (11%). Only 41.6% regularly used sanitary pads. 51.4% used an average of 2 pads or cloths per day during menstruation. 90% did not clean their genitals with soap and water. Mean age of first period: 12.67 years.
What it means for you
PMS and menstrual problems are very common in teenage girls and hygiene practices need improvement. The main limitation is this study only looked at one rural region in India, so results may not apply elsewhere.
500
teenage girls studied
62.2%
with PMS symptoms
12.67
mean age of first period in years
About the study
- Original title
- “Menstrual problems and hygiene among rural adolescent girls of Tamil Nadu-A cross sectional study”
- Authors
- S. Priya, AS Alliratnam, R Shankar
- Journal
- Indian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research
- Year
- 2016
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 500
- What was tested
- None—observational survey
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.5958/2394-2754.2016.00035.7
Topics
Related studies
Systematic review, 2025
Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS?
Non-randomised trial, 2026
Does video-guided digital menstrual exercise reduce PMS and period pain in adolescent girls?
Review, 2024
Does yoga help reduce period pain and premenstrual symptoms?
Survey study, 2019
What lifestyle and sleep habits are linked to PMS in teenage girls?
Survey study, 2010
How many female students have PMS and what causes it?
Survey study, 1999
How common are menstrual problems in teenage girls and do they relate to early puberty?