Survey study, 2004
How common is PMS in teenage girls, and can diet help it?
61.4% of girls had PMS, mostly mild or moderate. The most common symptoms were stress and nervousness (87.6%). Girls who drank more milk reported less bloating and cramps.
What they did
171 adolescent girls with regular periods answered questionnaires about PMS, painful periods, and diet.
What they found
105 of 171 girls (61.4%) met PMS criteria. Of these, 49.5% had mild PMS, 37.1% had moderate, and 13.4% had severe. The most common symptoms were stress (87.6%) and nervousness (87.6%). Girls who drank more milk had fewer symptoms of bloating, cramps, and food cravings.
What it means for you
PMS is common in teenagers, with stress and nervousness being the main complaints. A link was found between higher milk consumption and fewer physical symptoms. However, this is an association and does not prove that milk prevents PMS symptoms. The sample is small.
61.4%
Had PMS
87.6%
Had stress or nervousness
171
Total adolescent girls studied
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual syndrome and associated symptoms in adolescent girls
- Authors
- Derman O, Kanbur NO, Tokur TE et al.
- Journal
- European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology
- Year
- 2004
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2004.04.021
Topics
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