Survey study, 2026
How common is PMS in female medical students and what helps?
PMS was very common, affecting 84.69% of students. Rest and sleep were most helpful (90.78%), followed by music (61.65%) and hot showers (49.51%). Sleep patterns and physical activity were linked to PMS.
What they did
Cross-sectional study of 418 female medical students and interns at Index Medical College, India, over 3 months (April-June 2024). Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire about PMS symptoms and coping strategies.
What they found
354 students (84.69%) had PMS. Most common coping methods: rest/sleeping (90.78%), listening to music (61.65%), hot fomentation/hot shower (49.51%). PMS significantly linked to year of study, socioeconomic status, BMI, physical activity, sleep pattern, menstrual regularity, days of menstruation, and dysmenorrhea.
What it means for you
PMS is very common in medical students and affects daily life and quality of life. Simple strategies like rest, music, and heat help relieve symptoms. However, the study only included medical students from one college, so results may not apply to other women.
84.69%
had PMS
90.78%
found rest/sleep helpful
61.65%
found music helpful
About the study
- Original title
- Prevalence and Symptom Spectrum of Premenstrual Syndrome in Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study
- Authors
- Dr Nisha Singh, Lubana Shaikh, Chhavi Kiran Gupta et al.
- Journal
- JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 418
- What was tested
- None - observational study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.7860/jcdr/2026/87807.24541
Topics
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