How common is PMS among female university students and how does it affect their lives?

Background: Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is one of the most common disorders of reproductive age. PMS is a set of physical and psychological symptoms that occurs during the luteal phase of menstrual cycle (14 days before menstrual period), resolved with the onset of menstruation and with a symptom-free interval afterwards. Aim: To assess the knowledge, most commonly reported symptoms, effects on educational activities and interpersonal relationships, treatment options and attitude of female university students towards PMS. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 130 female students of a Private University of Delhi NCR. A pretested, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the information. The data was compiled in Microsoft excel and analysed using SPSS 25 version. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The majority (80%) of female participants knew about PMS while only (43.8%) knew about PMDD. The most common affective and somatic symptoms among participants were irritability (74.6 %) and abdominal bloating (48.5%). More than half (53.8 %) of the female participants reported PMS impaired their College/work efficiency/ productivity and Concentration and (49.2 %) reported PMS impaired their Social life activities. The majority (90%) of female participants think that PMS is an important issue that should be discussed but (40.8%) did nothing to relieve their premenstrual symptoms. The female participants of age group between 23 and 30 years showed higher proportion of knowledge of PMS (n=52, 89.7 %) when compared to female participants of age group between 17 and 22 years and this association was statistically significant (P<0.05). The female participants who did exercise showed higher proportion of knowledge of PMS (n=82, 84.5 %) when compared to female students who did not exercise and this association was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, it can be said that: PMS is a common problem affecting the educational activities and interpersonal relationships of females significantly. Despite of the positive response of female participants towards PMS in our study, there is lack of knowledge about the necessity to consult a doctor or seek treatment for their symptoms.

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