Survey study, 2024
Does stress affect menstrual symptoms?
Yes, but only slightly. Stress accounted for about 6.5% of the difference in symptom levels between women.
What they did
Researchers surveyed 351 university students in Turkey online. They asked about stress levels and menstrual symptoms including abdominal pain and overall menstrual complaints.
What they found
Women whose income matched their expenses reported fewer menstrual symptoms. Having a chronic disease and smoking both increased menstrual symptoms. There was a weak connection between stress and menstrual symptoms - stress explained about 6.5% of the difference in symptom severity between women.
What it means for you
While stress does appear to make menstrual symptoms slightly worse, it explains only a small part of why women experience different symptom levels. Other factors like income stability, chronic illness, and smoking matter more. The study surveyed only university students, so results may not apply to all age groups.
351
University students surveyed
6.5%
Of symptoms explained by stress
0.25
Correlation between stress and symptoms
About the study
- Original title
- The effect of perceived stress on menstrual complaints in university students
- Authors
- Yaşar Ö
- Journal
- Women & health
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 351
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2024.2337705
Topics
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