Prevalence of premenstrual symptoms among college students

Abstract

Objective: Most menstruate women experience discomfort during the pre-menstrual stage of their menstrual cycle. The premenstrual symptom is the one of severe problems among adolescents. The majority of women around the world experience physical and psychological symptoms associated with menstruation, known as premenstrual symptoms. The objective of the study is to estimate the severity of premenstrual symptoms among college students in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu.

 Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300  college students of the 18–28 years age group at  Arts and Science colleges of  Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. In order to gather the general data of the participants prior to the survey, questionnaires were distributed.

 Findings: The median age of the menarche participants was 13.03 ± 1.38 years.  The mean age of the participants was 21.09± 2.3. The prevalence of PMS was 86%. Approximately 40.5% participated in some form of physical activity, while 59.5% abstained from physical activity. The most common psychological symptoms included depressed mood, irritable mood, mood swings, and poor concentration. The most common physical symptoms were general body aches, headaches, backaches, fatigue, joint aches, and joint pain. The most common behavioral symptoms were a short temper, food cravings, and sleepiness. The conclusion of this study is that PMS is ubiquitous among adolescents and that there is a need for awareness programs at the school, college, and community levels to raise awareness of PMS and its treatment.

 Conclusion:

The prevalence of PMS among adolescent girls was found to be very high in this study. Creating awareness programs need to be implemented in schools and colleges.