--- title: How common are PMS and painful periods in female medical students, and do they affect school attendance? description: Very common. 68% of the 100 students had PMS and 45% had painful periods. Both conditions were linked to missing classes and to being overweight or physically url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/prevalence-of-premenstrual-syndrome-and-dysmenorrhea-among-medical-students-and-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How common are PMS and painful periods in female medical students, and do they affect school attendance? Cohort study, 2020 # How common are PMS and painful periods in female medical students, and do they affect school attendance? Very common. 68% of the 100 students had PMS and 45% had painful periods. Both conditions were linked to missing classes and to being overweight or physically inactive. Moderate study design 100 female medical students in Mangalore, mean age 21 years ## What they did A prospective survey of 100 female medical students in Mangalore. Students completed questionnaires about painful periods, PMS symptoms, diet, physical activity, and missed classes. ## What they found The prevalence of painful periods was 45% and PMS was 68%. PMS was significantly linked to being overweight, obese, and physically inactive (p=0.05). 73% of students with PMS consumed junk food, and 60% of those with painful periods did. 40% of students with painful periods reported limitation of daily activities, and this was significantly linked to college absenteeism (p=0.005). The most common physical symptom of PMS was breast tenderness (41%) and the most common emotional symptom was irritability (35%). ## What it means for you PMS and painful periods are common in this student population and affect their school attendance and daily activities. Unhealthy lifestyle factors like poor diet and lack of exercise appear to be linked to these conditions. However, this study only included medical students in one location. 68% prevalence of PMS 45% prevalence of painful periods 40% with painful periods had activity limitations ## About the study Original title Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea among medical students and its impact on their college absenteeism Authors Arshia Syed, Smitha B. Rao Journal International Journal of Reproduction Contraception Obstetrics and Gynecology Year 2020 Study design Cohort study Participants 100 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20201042](https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20201042) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Psychotherapy, counselling and education](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-psychotherapy/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)[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/) 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 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Survey study, 2026 Does exercise help college women with period problems and mental health? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2026 How common is PMDD among college women and what increases the risk? Survey study, 2026 What factors are linked with period pain in teenage girls in Ethiopia? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗