Survey study, 2011
How common are premenstrual symptoms in Pakistani women and how much do they affect daily life?
Premenstrual symptoms are very common, with 5.5% to 79.9% diagnosed depending on the classification system used. 98.8% of women were unaware they had a recognized condition. More severe symptoms strongly predicted whether women sought medical help.
What they did
Cross-sectional survey of 402 Pakistani women aged 15-49 from three cities (Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad). They completed a checklist of 23 premenstrual symptoms and answered questions about lifestyle.
What they found
Using different diagnostic systems, 79.9% had PMS, 12.7% met another set of criteria, and 5.5% had severe PMS. 98.8% were unaware of PMS as a diagnosis. Common symptoms were bloating, cramps, lack of energy, irritability, and mood swings. More women with severe symptoms sought medical help: 12.7% for PMS, 25.6% for the second criteria, and 40.9% for severe PMS.
What it means for you
Premenstrual symptoms are very common in Pakistani women, but almost all are unaware it is a recognized condition. Physical symptoms dominate, and symptom severity strongly predicts whether women seek medical help. Results are specific to Pakistan.
98.8%
Women unaware of PMS diagnosis
79.9%
Women with PMS
5.5%
Women with severe PMS
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual symptoms in Pakistani women and their effect on activities of daily life
- Authors
- Pal SA, Dennerstein L, Lehert P
- Journal
- JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association
- Year
- 2011
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 402
- What was tested
- None - observational survey
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22355998/
Topics
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