Survey study, 2026
How common is PMS in female medical students and how much does it affect their daily life?
About two-thirds experience common symptoms like fatigue and mood swings. PMS affects emotional well-being in 34.5%, social interactions in 22.3%, and school performance in 21.5%, but most students avoid seeing doctors.
What they did
Cross-sectional survey of 504 female medical students aged 18 to 30 in Eastern Saudi Arabia conducted from October 2024 to March 2025. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires about PMS symptoms, impact on quality of life, coping strategies, and healthcare-seeking behavior.
What they found
Common symptoms reported: fatigue (67.6%), mood swings (67.5%), bloating (51%). PMS significantly affected emotional well-being (34.5%), social interactions (22.3%), and academic performance (21.5%). Symptom severity was linked to menstrual disorders, hormonal contraception use, and family history of PMS. Only 33.9% used medical treatments while 66.1% relied on non-medical methods. Only 11.3% sought healthcare for PMS symptoms.
What it means for you
PMS is very common in medical students with real impacts on emotions, relationships, and school, yet most manage it without medical help. Better awareness and support for PMS treatment within academic settings could improve well-being. Study limited to one region and self-reported data.
67.6%
reported fatigue
34.5%
PMS affected emotional well-being
11.3%
sought healthcare for PMS
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual syndrome and its impact on quality of life among females in the medical field in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study
- Authors
- Aymen Altalib, Reem AlRashidi, Sarah Almutairi et al.
- Journal
- International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 504
- What was tested
- None - this was an observational study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.24911/ijmdc.51-1766660932
Topics
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