Survey study, 2024
Is stress linked to premenstrual syndrome?
Yes, moderate to high stress was significantly linked to PMS risk. Women with moderate to high stress were 1.79 times more likely to have PMS.
What they did
Cross-sectional study of 980 female health science students in Syria conducted October to November 2022. Students completed questionnaires about menstrual problems and stress levels.
What they found
87% of students had PMS and 88% had dysmenorrhea. 82% had mild to moderate stress, 10% had high stress, and 8% had low stress. Moderate to high perceived stress increased PMS risk (OR = 1.79, p = 0.0037).
What it means for you
Higher stress appears linked to PMS risk in young health science students. However, the study was limited to one country at one time point, used self-reported data, and cannot prove stress causes PMS.
980
Female students studied
87%
Had PMS
1.79
Increased PMS risk with moderate to high stress (odds ratio)
About the study
- Original title
- The prevalence of menstrual disorders and their association with psychological stress in Syrian students enrolled at health-related schools: A cross-sectional study
- Authors
- Kahal F, Alshayeb S, Torbey A et al.
- Journal
- International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 980
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.15152
Topics
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