Survey study, 1977

Can daily symptom tracking help measure menstrual symptoms?

Yes, daily symptom tracking can identify menstrual symptom patterns. The method worked as well as other ways of measuring menstrual distress.

Early or limited evidence 19 volunteers

What they did

Nineteen volunteers filled out a symptom questionnaire every day for more than one menstrual cycle. Researchers analyzed the data using a mathematical method to find patterns.

What they found

The daily tracking results matched patterns found by other researchers studying the menstrual cycle, suggesting that this method is a reliable way to measure menstrual distress.

What it means for you

Daily tracking appears to be a useful method for measuring menstrual symptoms accurately. However, the study was very small with only 19 women, so the findings need testing in larger groups.

volunteers

menstrual cycles tracked

About the study

Original title: Studies of daily recordings from the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire
Authors: Sampson GA, Jenner FA
Journal: The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science
Year: 1977
Study design: Survey study
What was tested: None
Read the paper: doi.org/10.1192/bjp.130.3.265

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