Survey study, 2016
Does how you feel about your body change across the menstrual cycle?
Yes, teenage girls in this study felt worse about their bodies in the days before their period compared with other times in the cycle, even after accounting for their weight.
What they did
Researchers surveyed Polish girls aged 12 to 18 who had regular periods and no eating disorders. The girls filled in a questionnaire and a body image scale, and had their body measurements taken. The researchers looked at whether body image changed across the different phases of the menstrual cycle, taking into account weight, age at first period, and other factors.
What they found
Body image and the gap between how girls saw their actual body and their ideal body were linked to the menstrual cycle phase and to body weight status. Body dissatisfaction was most likely during the premenstrual phase of the cycle, and was also more likely in girls classed as having obesity class I.
What it means for you
For teenage girls, the time just before a period may be a time of greater body dissatisfaction, separate from the effect of body weight. This was a one-time survey in Polish girls only, so it cannot show that the cycle causes these feelings, only that they are linked.
12-18
age range of girls studied
About the study
- Original title
- THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MENSTRUAL CYCLE CHARACTERISTICS AND PERCEIVED BODY IMAGE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF POLISH FEMALE ADOLESCENTS
- Authors
- Kaczmarek M, Trambacz-Oleszak S
- Journal
- Journal of biosocial science
- Year
- 2016
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None, this was an observational survey, not a tested treatment
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1017/s0021932015000292
Topics
Related studies
Survey study, 2018
Does what or how adolescents eat matter for PMS?
Systematic review, 2025
Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS?
Study, 2026
What coping strategies help women manage PMS symptoms?
Randomised trial, 2026
Does yoga or foot reflexology work better for teenage PMS?
Review, 2026
How do social factors like stigma and unequal care responsibilities affect premenstrual symptoms?
Survey study, 2025
Is a negative attitude toward menstruation linked to worse PMS symptoms?