Survey study, 2018
Do healthier daily habits mean fewer PMS symptoms in college students?
Yes, somewhat: female college students with healthier daily habits (like diet, exercise, and personal growth) tended to have milder PMS, but the link was weak.
What they did
Researchers surveyed 170 female university students in one South Korean city over about two weeks in April 2017. Students completed questionnaires measuring their PMS symptoms and their health-promoting behaviors, such as physical activity, nutrition, and spiritual growth. Statistical tests looked for correlations between the two.
What they found
Average PMS score was 1.83 and average health-promoting behavior score was 2.67 (out of the scales used). Overall health-promoting behavior was weakly but significantly linked to lower PMS (r = -.196, p = .012). Specific habits linked to less PMS included taking responsibility for one's health (r = -.184), physical activity (r = -.171), nutrition (r = -.188), and spiritual growth (r = -.199).
What it means for you
Building healthier daily habits may help ease PMS symptoms a little, supporting the idea of health education programs for students, but the relationship was weak and this single snapshot study in one Korean university cannot prove that better habits actually cause less PMS.
1.83
Average PMS score
2.67
Average health behavior score
r=-.196
Correlation with PMS
About the study
- Original title
- A Study on the Premenstrual Syndrome and Health Promoting Behavior in Female College Students
- Authors
- Mi‐Ok Kim
- Journal
- The Korean Data Analysis Society
- Year
- 2018
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 170
- What was tested
- None tested; this was a correlational survey
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.37727/jkdas.2018.20.3.1565
Topics
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