Survey study, 2021
Are body weight and exercise linked to how severe PMS is?
Yes. Both body mass index and regular exercise are linked to PMS severity. Women who maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly may experience less severe premenstrual symptoms.
What they did
A study of 92 women measured body weight and height, asked about sports and physical activity, and assessed the severity of premenstrual symptoms using a standardized tool.
What they found
Both body mass index and sports activities were linked to PMS severity. The study found a clear connection between these lifestyle factors and how severe a woman's premenstrual symptoms are.
What it means for you
Maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising regularly may help prevent or reduce PMS. The study was small with only 92 women and data were collected over just two months, so larger studies over longer periods are needed to confirm these findings. The study cannot prove that weight or exercise causes PMS to improve, only that they are linked.
92
women studied
About the study
- Original title
- The Correlation between Body Mass Index, Physical Activity, and The Degree of Premenstrual Syndrome
- Authors
- Tarsisius Tas'au, Lewi Jutomo, Sarci Magdalena Toy et al.
- Journal
- Lontar Journal of Community Health
- Year
- 2021
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 92
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.35508/ljch.v3i2.4156
Original abstract
Premenstrual syndrome is a collection of physical and psychological symptoms that appear 7 to 10 days before menstruation in women of childbearing age and disappear after menstruation. Premenstrual syndrome can be caused by body mass index and exercise activity. This is an analytic study with a cross-sectional study design that consists of 92 respondents as the sample was selected by simple random sampling. This research was conducted from September to October 2020. Data collection used interview techniques using a questionnaire and anthropometric measurements of body weight and height. Statistical analysis using the chi-square test. The results of the chi-square statistical test showed that body mass index (p-value = 0.041 ≤ 0.05) and sports activities (p-value = 0.010 ≤ 0.05) are related to the degree of premenstrual syndrome. It is important to maintain ideal body weight by consuming nutritious and healthy foods and balanced with regular exercise activities so that the body mass index is normal and avoids the problem of premenstrual syndrome and achieves optimal health.
Reproduced under CC-BY-SA.
Topics
Related studies
Cohort study, 2026
Do sleep, exercise, and diet quality affect period pain, heavy bleeding, and PMS in midlife?
Randomised trial, 2026
Does yoga or Pilates help reduce PMS symptoms?
Randomised trial, 2026
Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS?
Systematic review, 2026
Do mindfulness and relaxation techniques help with PMS symptoms?
Randomised trial, 2026
Does yoga reduce PMS symptoms?
Randomised trial, 2025
Does caloric restriction and aerobic exercise improve PMS symptoms in obese women?