--- title: How common are PMS and painful periods among female medical students in Saudi Arabia, and what causes them? description: Both are very common - 78.33% have PMS and 75.67% have painful periods. Young age, not being married, stress, fatty foods, and coffee drinking increase the ri url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-syndrome-and-primary-dysmenorrhoea-among-female-medical-students-a-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How common are PMS and painful periods among female medical students in Saudi Arabia, and what causes them? Survey study, 2025 # How common are PMS and painful periods among female medical students in Saudi Arabia, and what causes them? Both are very common - 78.33% have PMS and 75.67% have painful periods. Young age, not being married, stress, fatty foods, and coffee drinking increase the risk. Moderate study design 300 female medical students in Saudi Arabia (out of 431 total female students) ## What they did Surveyed 300 female medical students at one college in Saudi Arabia about PMS, painful periods, stress, diet, family history, and other factors. ## What they found PMS affected 78.33% of students and painful periods affected 75.67%. Students who were younger, unmarried, stressed, ate more fatty foods, and drank more coffee had higher rates. Those with family history of these problems, who hadn't had children, or who had a negative RhD blood factor also had higher rates. Most students used over-the-counter pain medicines to cope. ## What it means for you PMS and painful periods are very common in medical students. Stress and lifestyle factors matter. The study was in one college in Saudi Arabia, so results may not apply to students in other countries. 78.33% with PMS 75.67% with painful periods 300 women surveyed ## About the study Original title Premenstrual Syndrome and Primary Dysmenorrhoea among Female Medical Students —A Prospective, Cross-Sectional, Critical Surve Authors Remah Moustafa Ahmed Kamel, Lama Adnan Mandourah, Ghazal A. Gari et al. Journal Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Year 2025 Study design Survey study Participants 431 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.4236/ojog.2025.153041](https://doi.org/10.4236/ojog.2025.153041) Original abstract Introduction: For the Arabic-speaking nations, a region with distinctive cultural and social traits that might affect expectations and self-perception of health problems, research on risk factors for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and primary dysmenorrhoea (PD) is sparse. We investigated the relationship between the frequency of PMS and PD and potential risk factors for the illness. Aim: This paper aims to identify the prevalence, risk factors, and impacts of PMS and PD on female medical students’ quality of life (QoL) and academic performance. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional, survey-based study involved 300 undergraduate female medical students (out of 431 female students) at one of the private medical colleges in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, “The Batterjee Medical College”. Results: Both PMS and PD are very common among female medical students in Saudi Arabia. The prevalence of PMS was 78.33%, while that of PD was 75.67%. The main predictors for both were young age, unmarried females, exposure to stress, excess unhealthy fatty meals, and coffee intake. Positive family history, nulliparity, and negative Rhesus factor D (RhD) were among the significant associated factors. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the common medication used to cope with the problem. Conclusion: The high incidence of PMS and PD among female medical students calls for effective measures to minimise their impact on students (physiologically and psychologically) and on their academic performance in medical schools. Educational awareness seminars, the provision of medical healthcare services, and different stress-relieving events such as aerobic exercises are recommended. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Diuretics and other drugs](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diuretics-other-drugs/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2026 Does exercise help college women with period problems and mental health? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Study, 2024 How do lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and stress affect menstrual health and PMS? Randomised trial, 2024 Does practicing yoga twice weekly for 8 weeks reduce PMS symptoms and improve quality of life? Survey study, 2023 What factors make premenstrual syndrome worse in nursing students? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗