Study, 1987
How do job stress and teamwork affect cycle length, regularity, and cycle synchrony?
Women in jobs where teamwork was high or moderate had synchronized cycles. Women with high job stress and anxiety had longer, less regular cycles. Women in high-stress, low-teamwork jobs did not sync with coworkers.
What they did
They studied women working in different occupations and types of jobs. They looked at whether their menstrual cycles synchronized, how long cycles were, whether cycles were regular, and how job stress, teamwork demands, and anxiety affected these. They also tracked how much stress women reported during different phases of their cycles.
What they found
Women in jobs where teamwork was high or moderate compared to stress showed synchronized cycles. Women living with sexual partners showed less synchrony than women not cohabiting. Women with high anxiety and job stress had longer cycles and less synchrony. Women with lower anxiety had more regular cycles. Stress reports were higher during the late luteal phase (just before menstruation) and early menstrual phase.
What it means for you
Work stress and anxiety affect menstrual cycle patterns and whether women's cycles sync with coworkers. Living situation also matters. However, this is observational research, so we can't say stress definitely causes these changes.
About the study
- Original title
- The effect of job stress and job interdependency on menstrual cycle length, regularity and synchrony
- Authors
- Matteo S
- Journal
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Year
- 1987
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- None (observational study)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0306-4530(87)90081-3
Topics
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