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Interview study, 2024

How common is PMS in adolescent girls and what causes it?

86% of nursing students had PMS, with 54% experiencing moderate symptoms and 8% severe symptoms. Both lifestyle and personal factors influenced whether girls developed PMS.

Early or limited evidence 100 nursing students from a private college

What they did

Mixed methods study of 100 nursing students using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A standardized PMS diagnostic tool measured PMS incidence and intensity in all 100 students. Then 10 students with moderate or severe PMS participated in focus group discussions to identify factors influencing their symptoms.

What they found

86% of students had PMS. Of these, 24% had mild symptoms, 54% had moderate symptoms, and 8% had severe symptoms. Thematic analysis revealed that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence PMS, with lifestyle factors being the most influential.

What it means for you

PMS is very common in adolescent students and is largely shaped by modifiable lifestyle factors. The study only included nursing students at one private college, so results may not apply to adolescent girls in other settings. Only 10 students participated in focus groups, which is a very small number.

86%

had PMS

54%

had moderate PMS

8%

had severe PMS

About the study

Original title
Predictors of premenstrual syndrome: outcome of a focus group discussion among late adolescent girls-A mixed method approach
Authors
Sabitha Nayak, Ancy Jose, Aparna Rajesh et al.
Journal
Social medicine
Year
2024
Study design
Interview study
Participants
100
What was tested
None
Open access
Yes

Topics