How common are PMS and painful periods among female medical students in Saudi Arabia, and what causes them?

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.