Survey study, 2012
What menstrual problems are most common in nursing students?
Irregular periods and PMS are very common, affecting 80.7% and 54% of students respectively. Many said these problems affected their daily activities and schoolwork.
What they did
Cross-sectional questionnaire study of 352 nursing students in Beirut, Lebanon to identify the frequency of menstrual disorders.
What they found
Irregular period frequency occurred in 80.7%, PMS in 54.0%, irregular duration in 43.8%, painful periods in 38.1%, polymenorrhea in 37.5%, and infrequent periods in 19.3%. Dysmenorrhea and premenstrual symptoms were serious enough to affect daily activities or academic attendance in many cases.
What it means for you
PMS and irregular periods are extremely common in this student population and often impact daily life and school. The study measured how widespread these problems are but did not test any treatment.
80.7%
Irregular period frequency
54.0%
Premenstrual syndrome
38.1%
Painful periods
About the study
- Original title
- Prevalence and pattern of menstrual disorders among Lebanese nursing students
- Authors
- Karout N, Hawai SM, Altuwaijri S
- Journal
- Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit
- Year
- 2012
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 352
- What was tested
- None. Observational study of menstrual disorder prevalence.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.26719/2012.18.4.346
Topics
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 menstrual problems in university students, and do they affect quality of life?
Survey study, 2023
How common are PMS and PMDD in high school girls, and what factors increase risk?
Survey study, 2019
What lifestyle and sleep habits are linked to PMS in teenage girls?
Interview study, 2019
Which PMDD symptoms are most common in college students?