--- title: How common are menstrual problems in university students, and do they affect quality of life? description: Menstrual problems are extremely common, with 98% reporting some problem. The most common are premenstrual symptoms and period pain, both of which significant url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/prevalence-and-effects-of-menstrual-disorders-on-quality-of-life-of-female-2023/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How common are menstrual problems in university students, and do they affect quality of life? Survey study, 2023 # How common are menstrual problems in university students, and do they affect quality of life? Menstrual problems are extremely common, with 98% reporting some problem. The most common are premenstrual symptoms and period pain, both of which significantly reduce quality of life and school attendance. Moderate study design 275 female undergraduate students at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda, median age 21 years ## What they did Cross-sectional survey of 275 female undergraduate students. Students completed questionnaires about types of menstrual problems and measures of their quality of life. ## What they found 97.8% reported some form of menstrual problem. Premenstrual symptoms were most common (93.8%), followed by dysmenorrhea (63.6%). Less common were irregular periods (20.7%), frequent periods (7.3%), and infrequent periods (3.3%). Dysmenorrhea and premenstrual symptoms significantly reduced quality of life scores and class attendance. ## What it means for you Menstrual problems are nearly universal among university students and significantly impact daily life and education. Many students don't realize how common these problems are, and should know they deserve support and treatment. 97.8% Reported any menstrual disorder 93.8% With premenstrual symptoms 63.6% With dysmenorrhea (period pain) ## About the study Original title Prevalence and effects of menstrual disorders on quality of life of female undergraduate students in Makerere University College of health sciences, a cross sectional survey Authors Odongo E, Byamugisha J, Ajeani J et al. Journal BMC women's health Year 2023 Study design Survey study Participants 258 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02290-7](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02290-7) Original abstract Background: Menstrual problems affect as high as 90% of adolescent females and are the main reason for gynecology visits. Dysmenorrhea was the most frequent menstrual disorder for which adolescents and their parents were referred to a physician. Many undergraduate students are adolescents who undergo several hormonal changes that affect menstrual patterns. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of menstrual disorders and to determine the effect of menstrual disorders on quality of life (QOL) of female undergraduate students at Makerere University college of health sciences. Methods: A cross sectional study design using a self-administered questionnaire. WHO (World Health Organization) QOL-BREF (QOL-Best Available Reference document) questionnaire was used to assess QOL of participants. Collected data was double entered into EPIDATA, and transferred to STATA for analysis. Data was presented using tables, and analyzed using percentages, frequencies, medians, interquartile range, means and standard deviations, t-test and ANOVA were used to establish statistical significance. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the participants, 275 were included in the data analysis. The median age of the participants was 21 years with range of 18-39 years and interquartile range of 20-24 years. All the participants had attained menarche. Of the participants, 97.8% (95%CI: 95.2-99.0) (269/275) reported some form of menstrual disorder. Premenstrual symptoms were the commonest disorder (93.8% (95%CI: 90.2-96.1), N = 258) followed by dysmenorrhea (63.6% (95% CI: 57.7-69.1), N = 175), irregular menstruation (20.7% (95%CI: 16.3-25.9), N = 57), frequent menstruation (7.3% 95% CI:4.7-11.0, N = 20) and infrequent menstruation (3.3% (95% CI:1.7-6.2), N = 9). Dysmenorrhea and premenstrual symptoms significantly reduced the QOL scores of participants. Conclusion: Menstrual disorders were highly prevalent with negative effects on QOL and class attendance. Efforts should be made to screen and possibly treat menstrual disorders among university students as well as to conduct further studies to elucidate more on the effects of menstrual disorders on quality of life. 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/)[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/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Cohort study, 2023 Do girls with intellectual disability have worse menstrual quality of life? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD in high school girls, and what factors increase risk? Survey study, 2016 How common are menstrual problems in teenage girls? Survey study, 2012 What menstrual problems are most common in nursing students? Cohort study, 2008 How common is PMS in medical students and how much does it affect their quality of life? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗