Survey study, 2011
Do overweight or obese women have worse PMS than normal weight women?
Yes. Overweight and obese women reported significantly more pain and mood-related PMS symptoms compared to normal weight women.
What they did
College women were divided into two groups by weight. 85 were normal weight and 28 were overweight or obese. All completed a questionnaire rating their PMS symptoms.
What they found
In normal weight women, water retention was the most severe PMS symptom (2.71 on a rating scale), followed by behavioral changes (2.58), mood changes (2.46), and pain (2.31). Women who were overweight or obese had significantly higher scores for pain and behavioral change. Women who ate more calcium and B6 had fewer concentration problems during their cycle. Depression, anxiety, and stress were linked to various PMS symptoms.
What it means for you
Weight may play a role in how severe certain PMS symptoms are, particularly pain and mood changes. Calcium and B6, and managing stress, may help reduce symptoms. Main limitations: small sample, college women only, unequal group sizes, and cross-sectional design (cannot prove cause and effect).
85
normal weight
28
overweight or obese
2.71
water retention severity (highest)
About the study
- Original title
- A Study on Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), Nutrient Intake, Psychological Index according to the Obesity Degree of College Women
- Authors
- Se-Na Kang, Jung‐Hwa Park, Hye‐Jin Hwang
- Journal
- 대한지역사회영양학회지
- Year
- 2011
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 85
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2011.16.1.14
Topics
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