Cohort study, 2017
How does stress relate to premenstrual symptoms?
Yes. Perceived stress and stress from adjusting to a new culture were the strongest links to symptom severity in Korean international students. In Korean domestic students, a history of sexual abuse was the strongest link.
What they did
98 Korean international students in the U.S. and 89 Korean domestic students completed online surveys weekly for 10 weeks (November 2014 to February 2015).
What they found
In international students, perceived stress (β = 0.30) and stress from adjusting to a new culture (β = 0.26) had the strongest relationship to symptom severity. International students reported higher stress and menstrual symptoms than domestic students (p < .001).
What it means for you
Since stress can be managed, understanding its link to symptoms could help reduce them. The study only included Korean students, so findings may not apply to other groups.
98
international students (U.S.)
89
domestic students (Korea)
10
weeks of weekly tracking
About the study
- Original title
- Stress and premenstrual symptoms among Korean women studying in the U.S. and South Korea: A longitudinal web-based study
- Authors
- Lee Y, Im EO
- Journal
- Women & health
- Year
- 2017
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 98
- What was tested
- None; observational study of perceived stress and adjustment stress
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2016.1181139
Topics
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