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Survey study, 2024

How common are PMS and PMDD in young Turkish women and what factors are linked to them?

PMS affects about 49% of young Turkish women and PMDD about 48%. Blood type B was far more likely to have PMS than blood type A. Lower physical activity, longer menstrual cycles, more caffeine, and depression were also linked to PMDD.

Moderate study design 1,125 female college students aged 18-25 in Turkey

What they did

Cross-sectional study of 1,125 female college students in Turkey from December 2022 to May 2023. They measured PMS and PMDD using standard criteria based on symptoms over three menstrual cycles. They also recorded blood type, physical activity, menstrual cycle length, and caffeine intake.

What they found

PMS was found in 49.2% and PMDD in 48.0% of participants. Women with blood type B were 151.8 times more likely to have PMS than those with type A. Women with lower physical activity were more likely to have PMS. Longer menstrual cycle duration (odds ratio 1.47) and higher daily caffeine intake were linked to PMDD.

What it means for you

The blood type finding is striking but unusual and should be confirmed in other studies before believing it. Physical activity and caffeine may be modifiable factors worth exploring. The study only looked at college students in Turkey aged 18-25, so these rates may not apply to all women or other ages.

49.2%

Prevalence of PMS

48.0%

Prevalence of PMDD

151.8

Odds ratio for blood type B vs A for PMS

About the study

Original title
Prevalence and correlates of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder among women aged 18-25 in Turkey
Authors
Turan A, Güler Kaya İ, Çakır HB et al.
Journal
International journal of psychiatry in medicine
Year
2024
Study design
Survey study
Participants
1,125
What was tested
None (observational study)

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