How common are PMS and PMDD among female medical students and do they affect schoolwork?

ABSTRACTBackground: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) has a wide range of prevalence world-wide leading to higher rates of student absences from school and university, higher medical expenses, and lower health-related quality of life. Aim: The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome among medical students at Suez Canal University and its effect on their academic performance.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Suez Canal University among medical students using direct interview questionnaire from December 2023 to April 2024 after obtaining ethical approval from the ethical Committee (Reference number: 5484).two steps sampling technique was used. First step was stratified sampling technique. Second step was equi-proportional systematic random technique to select students from each year. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: The result showed that: from the studied sample of 410 students, the prevalence of PMS was 34.6 % and that of PMDD was about 5 %.High statistically significant difference as regard interference with school/work efficiency as well as social life activities.Conclusions: The prevalence of premenstrual syndrome among medical students was high enough and it has great effect on academic performance.Key words: premenstrual syndrome, academic achievement, female medical students

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