---
title: What factors affect how severe PMS symptoms are? | Niyora
description: PMS severity varies among women and is influenced by age, race/ethnicity, health status, and oral contraceptive use. Women with more health conditions have wo
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/severity-of-premenstrual-symptoms-in-a-health-maintenance-organization-2002/
---

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- What factors affect how severe PMS symptoms are?

Cohort study, 2002

# What factors affect how severe PMS symptoms are?

PMS severity varies among women and is influenced by age, race/ethnicity, health status, and oral contraceptive use. Women with more health conditions have worse symptoms.

 Moderate study design

1194 women aged 21-45 from a California health maintenance organization

## What they did

1194 women aged 21-45 from a California health maintenance organization completed daily symptom ratings for two menstrual cycles and answered questions about their demographics, health, and lifestyle.

## What they found

Symptom severity was significantly greater in the PMDD group (P <.001). Severity increased with each comorbidity and decreased with each year of age. Hispanics reported greater severity of symptoms than whites, and Asians reported less. Herbal and nutritional supplement use increased from 10.8% in the minimal symptom group to 30.4% in the PMDD group (P <.01).

## What it means for you

PMS severity is individual and consistent for each woman over two cycles, linked to age, ethnicity, and overall health. The study was limited to one health maintenance organization in northern California.

1194

women studied

10.8% to 30.4%

using herbal or nutritional supplements

56

women with PMDD

## About the study

Original title Severity of premenstrual symptoms in a health maintenance organization population Authors Sternfeld B, Swindle R, Chawla A et al. Journal Obstetrics and gynecology Year 2002 Study design Cohort study Participants 1,194 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0029-7844(02)01958-0](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0029-7844(02)01958-0)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Other herbal medicine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-herbal-other/)

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.

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