Survey study, 2025
Is PMS connected to mental health problems and lifestyle choices?
Yes, 64% of nursing students had PMS and it was strongly linked to depression, anxiety and stress. PMS was also more common in students who smoked, drank alcohol, drank coffee or reported psychological problems.
What they did
Cross-sectional survey of 411 female nursing students from October to December 2021. Students completed questionnaires measuring PMS symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress and lifestyle factors including smoking, alcohol use and coffee consumption.
What they found
64% of students had PMS. The most common symptoms were depressive mood (76.9%), appetite changes (70.1%), fatigue (68.1%), swelling (63.5%) and irritability (63.3%). Students with PMS had much higher depression, anxiety and stress scores than those without. PMS was more common in smokers, drinkers, coffee drinkers and those reporting psychological problems.
What it means for you
PMS is common in nursing students and closely linked to mental health problems. Lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol and coffee consumption may be related to PMS severity. This suggests that approaches addressing both lifestyle and mental well-being together might help. However, the study is cross-sectional, so we cannot determine whether these factors cause PMS or result from it.
64%
nursing students with PMS
76.9%
with depressive mood
70.1%
with appetite changes
About the study
- Original title
- Prevalence of Premenstrual Syndrome and its Relationship with Mental Health and Lifestyle Variables Among Nursing Students: A Descriptive and Correlational Study
- Authors
- Ayşe Akalın, Ayşenur Karpuzluk
- Journal
- Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Nursing Sciences
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 411
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.5336/nurses.2024-103539
Topics
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