Survey study, 2026
Does physical activity help reduce PMS symptoms in female students?
Yes. Women with moderate to heavy physical activity had significantly less frequent and less severe PMS compared to those with light physical activity.
What they did
A cross-sectional observational study of 226 female medical students aged 17-24, conducted from December 2024 to February 2025. Physical activity levels were measured using the IPAQ questionnaire and PMS symptoms using the SPAF questionnaire. Researchers used chi-square test to analyze the relationship.
What they found
Most respondents (71.2%) engaged in light physical activity. Severe PMS was more common with light activity (21.7%) compared to moderate activity (14.0%) and heavy activity (4.5%, with the majority having no symptoms). There was a significant relationship between physical activity level and PMS incidence and severity (p=0.004).
What it means for you
Moderate to heavy physical activity is associated with less frequent and less severe PMS. The more physical activity, the better. However, this is cross-sectional and observational, showing association not cause. Results are from medical students specifically, so may not apply to all women. The study does not show whether increasing activity leads to improvement.
226
female medical students studied
71.2%
had light physical activity
21.7% vs 4.5%
severe PMS: light activity vs heavy activity
About the study
- Original title
- The Impact of Physical Activity on Premenstrual Syndrome in Female Students at the Faculty of Medicine, Tarumanagara University
- Authors
- Carin Carin, Octavia Dwi Wahyuni
- Journal
- Alami Journal (Alauddin Islamic Medical) Journal
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 233
- What was tested
- None - physical activity levels were measured
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.24252/alami.v10i1.61813
Topics
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