--- title: How do lifestyle and attitudes about periods affect PMS severity? description: Negative attitudes about menstruation and problematic alcohol use are linked to worse PMS, and painful periods (dysmenorrhea) are most strongly linked to wors url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-relationship-between-life-style-menstrual-attitude-and-premenstrual-syndrome-2013/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How do lifestyle and attitudes about periods affect PMS severity? Survey study, 2013 # How do lifestyle and attitudes about periods affect PMS severity? Negative attitudes about menstruation and problematic alcohol use are linked to worse PMS, and painful periods (dysmenorrhea) are most strongly linked to worse PMS. These are associations, not proof of cause and effect. Early or limited evidence 246 nursing students in Gyeonggi province, South Korea ## What they did Cross-sectional survey of 246 nursing students in South Korea. Measured PMS symptoms, lifestyle factors including alcohol use, and menstrual attitudes. ## What they found Students with undesirable alcohol habits and negative menstrual attitudes experienced more severe PMS. Students with dysmenorrhea had significantly more severe PMS and more negative attitudes about their periods. Correlation between alcohol habits and PMS was r=.15 (p=.020), and between menstrual attitude and PMS was r=.17 (p=.009). Dysmenorrhea was associated with worse PMS (F=12.41, p<.001). ## What it means for you Attitudes and alcohol use may be linked to PMS severity, with painful periods most strongly associated. This was a small survey of nursing students and may not apply to all women. 246 nursing students r=.15 correlation with alcohol habits F=12.41 dysmenorrhea linked to PMS severity ## About the study Original title The Relationship between Life Style, Menstrual Attitude and Premenstrual Syndrome in Nursing Students Authors Song JE, Chae HJ, Jang WH et al. Journal Korean journal of women health nursing Year 2013 Study design Survey study Participants 246 What was tested None - observational survey only Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2013.19.2.119](https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2013.19.2.119) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Alcohol, smoking and substance use](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-substance-use/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2017 How does stress relate to premenstrual symptoms? Survey study, 2023 Is there a link between PMS symptoms and how the nervous system controls heart rate? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Survey study, 2014 What makes PMS worse in college women, stress or how they feel about periods? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Cohort study, 1999 What causes negative mood during menopause? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗