Survey study, 2019
How common are menstrual symptoms and how much do they affect women's daily lives?
Menstrual symptoms are very common. 85% have period pain, 77% have mood symptoms, and 71% have tiredness. About 1 in 3 women cannot do their usual activities during their period.
What they did
A nationwide cross-sectional internet survey conducted July to October 2017 among 42,879 women aged 15-45. Participants reported on menstrual symptoms and their impact on daily activities.
What they found
Dysmenorrhea was most common at 85%, followed by psychological complaints at 77% and tiredness at 71%. 38% of all women reported being unable to perform all regular daily activities during their period. Only 48.6% of women who skipped tasks told their family why.
What it means for you
Menstrual symptoms are widespread and significantly affect women's daily functioning. The main limit is that this surveyed people willing to participate online, so results may not represent all women.
85%
Percentage with dysmenorrhea (period pain)
38%
Percentage unable to perform all daily activities during period
42,879
Number of women surveyed
About the study
- Original title
- The impact of menstrual symptoms on everyday life: a survey among 42,879 women
- Authors
- Schoep ME, Nieboer TE, van der Zanden M et al.
- Journal
- American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
- Year
- 2019
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 42,879
- What was tested
- None - observational study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2019.02.048
Topics
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