--- title: Is physical activity or body fat related to PMS in teenage girls? description: Yes. Girls with higher body fat and certain waist measurements had worse PMS, and more active girls had less severe PMS. But this was only teenagers in one ci url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/anthropometric-indices-and-physical-activity-in-relation-to-premenstrual-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is physical activity or body fat related to PMS in teenage girls? Survey study, 2024 # Is physical activity or body fat related to PMS in teenage girls? Yes. Girls with higher body fat and certain waist measurements had worse PMS, and more active girls had less severe PMS. But this was only teenagers in one city and cannot prove these things cause PMS. Early or limited evidence 143 female high school students in Malang City, Indonesia ## What they did A cross-sectional study measured weight, waist, and body fat in 143 female high school students in Indonesia. They measured physical activity and PMS symptoms using questionnaires and checked for correlations. ## What they found Body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio were linked to worse PMS symptoms, but BMI-for-age was not. Physical activity was linked to less severe PMS. ## What it means for you If you have higher body fat or carry weight around your middle, you may experience worse PMS. Being more physically active may help reduce PMS symptoms. The main limit is this was only teenagers in one city in Indonesia at one point in time, so we cannot prove these things cause PMS. 143 female high school students 10 items on PMS screening tool ## About the study Original title Anthropometric indices and physical activity in relation to premenstrual syndrome among female adolescents Authors Annisa Rizky Maulidiana, Putri Nabila Qomariah, Savitri Nur Rahmawati et al. Journal Jurnal Gizi Indonesia (The Indonesian Journal of Nutrition) Year 2024 Study design Survey study Participants 143 What was tested None (observational study) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.14710/jgi.13.1.35-41](https://doi.org/10.14710/jgi.13.1.35-41) Original abstract Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a collection of symptoms that are usually experienced by female adolescent before the start of each menstrual cycle which can impact their social activities and concentration on studies. There are several factors that can influence the occurrence of PMS, such as nutritional status, body composition, and physical level. Objectives: To explore the incidence of PMS among female adolescents and its correlation with anthropometric indices and physical activity in Malang City, IndonesiaMaterials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in August to November 2023. A total of 143 female second year students from three public high schools in Malang City was participated in this study. Weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference, and body fat percentage (BF%) were measured. Anthropometric indices including body mass index-for-age (BMI-for-age), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. PMS was measured using 10-item shortened Premenstrual Assessment Form(sPAF) and physical activity using Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescent (PAQ-A). Spearman test was used to evaluate the correlation between variables.Results: There were significant positive correlations among anthropometric indices. There was a positive correlation between PMS with BF%, WHR, and WHtR, however no correlation was found with BMI-for-age. PMS was inversely correlated with physical activity level.Conclusion: Anthropometric indices as predictor of obesity such as BF%, WHR, and WHtR was positively correlated with PMS while physical activity was negatively correlated with PMS. These findings suggest that changes toward healthy lifestyle, such as having regular physical activity and maintain a normal range of body composition and nutritional status are important to alleviate PMS symptoms in female adolescents.Keywords: Adolescent; anthropometric indices; body fat; physical activity; premenstrual syndrome Reproduced under CC-BY-SA. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Non-randomised trial, 2026 Does a lifestyle education program reduce PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2025 Is emotional eating linked to PMS in university women? Survey study, 2021 Does exercise and diet affect PMS symptoms in teenagers? Cohort study, 2019 How do exercise, diet and weight affect menstrual problems? Survey study, 2024 Can yoga and diet reduce premenstrual syndrome symptoms? Non-randomised trial, 2022 Is nutrition status linked to PMS, and does health education help? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗