--- title: How common is PMS among college-age girls in India? | Niyora description: 86% of college girls in India had PMS. Common symptoms included depressed mood, irritability, headaches, and body pain. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/prevalence-of-premenstrual-syndrome-in-college-going-girls-a-cross-sectional-2023/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How common is PMS among college-age girls in India? Survey study, 2023 # How common is PMS among college-age girls in India? 86% of college girls in India had PMS. Common symptoms included depressed mood, irritability, headaches, and body pain. Early or limited evidence 420 college girls aged 18-25 years in Belagavi, Karnataka, India ## What they did Cross-sectional study of 420 college girls aged 18-25 years in Belagavi, Karnataka, India using a self-administered questionnaire. ## What they found PMS prevalence was 86%. Mean age at first menstruation was 13.87 years. 40.5% engaged in physical activity and 59.5% did not. Most common psychological symptoms were depressed mood, irritability, mood swings, and poor concentration. Most common physical symptoms were general body pain, headache, back pain, fatigue, and joint pain. Most common behavioral symptoms were short temper, food cravings, and oversleeping. ## What it means for you PMS is very common in college-age girls in India and affects their daily life. Education and awareness programs are needed in schools, colleges, and communities. Main limitation: study used convenience sampling in one city, so results may not represent all Indian college girls. 86% PMS prevalence 13.87 years mean age at first menstruation 40.5% engaged in physical activity ## About the study Original title Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome in college going girls - A cross sectional study Authors Manisha Upadhyay, Arati Vinay Mahishale, Annapurna S. Kari Journal Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health Year 2023 Study design Survey study What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2023.101234](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2023.101234) Original abstract Problem considered Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the most common problems related to menstruation among young females. The severity of the symptoms of PMS differs among girls affecting their daily life activities and health-related lives. In developing countries like India there are many stigmas surrounding menstruation, these stigmas are big barrier for the women to seek help for their physical and mental discomfort. Hence, this study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Premenstrual Syndrome among college-going girls in Belagavi, Karnataka, India. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted among 420 college-going girls of 18–25 years age group at several educational institutes of Belagavi city, Karnataka. Convenient sampling technique was used to enroll the subjects. Data was collected using predesigned, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS software 21.0 version. Results The mean age of menarche was found to be 13.87 ± 1.44 years. The PMS prevalence was found to be 86%. Around 40.5% of the participants performed some type of physical activity, 59.5% did not do any physical activity. Most common psychological symptoms were depressed mood, irritability, mood swings, poor concentration, etc. Common physical symptoms were general body pain, headache, back pain, fatigue, joint pain, etc. Common behavioral symptoms were short temper, food cravings and oversleeping. Conclusion This study showed high prevalence of PMS in college-going girls. Therefore, teaching and awareness programs should be conducted in schools, college and at the community levels to improve knowledge about PMS and its management. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) 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 Survey study, 2020 Can teaching about yoga techniques improve girls' knowledge about managing PMS? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Non-randomised trial, 2026 Does video-guided digital menstrual exercise reduce PMS and period pain in adolescent girls? Randomised trial, 2026 Does yoga or foot reflexology work better for teenage PMS? Review, 2024 Does yoga help reduce period pain and premenstrual symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗