Survey study, 2024
How common is premenstrual syndrome and what makes it worse?
About 68% of health sciences students had premenstrual symptoms, and 79% of those had a family history of PMS. The study found menstrual pain, amount of bleeding, and family history were linked to having PMS.
What they did
Cross-sectional survey of 202 female students from a health sciences campus in South India who filled out a questionnaire about premenstrual symptoms and what coping methods they used.
What they found
137 out of 202 students (67.8%) had premenstrual symptoms, and 79% of those had a family history of PMS. The most common symptoms reported were mood swings, abdominal cramps, and general body aches. Rest, sleep, and music were commonly used to cope. Family history, menstrual pain, bleeding amount, and symptom duration were significantly associated with PMS.
What it means for you
If a mother or sister had PMS, a woman is more likely to have it too. Heavier periods or more painful periods may be linked to worse PMS. Simple coping methods like rest and music help some women, but the study only included students at one campus, so findings may not apply to all women.
67.8%
had premenstrual symptoms
79%
of those had family history
202
participants
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual syndrome, coping mechanisms and associated factors among female students of a health sciences campus in South India
- Authors
- Shana Parveen, Janu Mangala Kanthi, Renjitha Bhaskaran
- Journal
- International Journal of Reproduction Contraception Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 202
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20241773
Topics
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