Cohort study, 2005
How common is PMS and how severe is it in young college women?
More than half of college women (53%) met PMS diagnostic criteria, with 31.7% having severe symptoms. About 18% met criteria for PMDD, the most severe form. This is a high prevalence, though the study used convenience sampling in one country.
What they did
An observational study of 384 college-aged girls in Pakistan who completed a 29-item symptom questionnaire based on standard scales covering two menstrual cycles. Symptoms were assessed against two diagnostic criteria (ICD-10 and DSM-IV).
What they found
By ICD-10 criteria, 53% had PMS: 42% mild, 18.2% moderate, and 31.7% severe. By DSM-IV criteria, 64 girls (18.2%) met criteria for severe PMS or PMDD. Most common symptoms in PMS were body discomfort, anxiety, backache, fatigue, and depression.
What it means for you
PMS is very common in college women, with more than half experiencing it and a significant portion having severe symptoms. However, the study used non-random sampling and was limited to one country, so results may differ elsewhere. Follow-up was only two cycles.
384
girls studied
53%
with PMS diagnosis
18.2%
meeting PMDD criteria
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual syndrome: frequency and severity in young college girls
- Authors
- Tabassum S, Afridi B, Aman Z et al.
- Journal
- JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association
- Year
- 2005
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 64
- What was tested
- None; symptom questionnaire
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16438276/
Topics
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