--- title: Does body size during childhood affect the risk of premenstrual disorders later? description: Yes. Girls with higher BMI in childhood and adolescence had higher risk of developing premenstrual disorders by young adulthood. This association remained eve url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/association-between-childhood-body-size-and-premenstrual-disorders-in-young-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does body size during childhood affect the risk of premenstrual disorders later? Cohort study, 2022 # Does body size during childhood affect the risk of premenstrual disorders later? Yes. Girls with higher BMI in childhood and adolescence had higher risk of developing premenstrual disorders by young adulthood. This association remained even after accounting for depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Strong study design 6,524 US female participants, average age 26, 93.6% white, from the Growing Up Today Study ## What they did Prospective cohort study of 6,524 US female participants from 1996 to 2013. Researchers measured BMI for age during childhood and adolescence (average age 12.7 years) and assessed premenstrual symptoms and disorders when participants were in their mid-twenties (average age 26). ## What they found 1,004 women (15.4%) met criteria for a premenstrual disorder. Higher childhood BMI was associated with increased PMD risk (relative risk 1.09 per unit of BMI z-score). Women with consistently high BMI throughout adolescence had notably higher symptom burden. Women who had high BMI early but then experienced a mild decrease did not have higher symptoms. ## What it means for you If a girl is overweight during childhood, she may be at higher risk for premenstrual disorders as an adult. The good news is that weight reduction during adolescence appears protective. This is a mostly white US study (93.6%), so it may not apply to all populations. The study is observational, so we cannot say weight causes PMDs. 1,004 women with PMD (15.4% of sample) 1.09 times higher PMD risk per BMI z-score unit 6,524 women studied ## About the study Original title Association Between Childhood Body Size and Premenstrual Disorders in Young Adulthood Authors Lu D, Aleknaviciute J, Kamperman AM et al. Journal JAMA network open Year 2022 Study design Cohort study Participants 6,524 What was tested None. Observational study examining associations with BMI measured over time. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.1256](https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.1256) Original abstract Importance: Emerging data suggest that more than two-thirds of premenstrual disorders (PMDs), including premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, have symptom onset during the teen years. Adulthood adiposity has been associated with PMDs; however, the association with childhood and adolescent body size is unknown. Objective: To examine the association between childhood and adolescent body size and risk of PMDs in young adulthood. Design, setting, and participants: This prospective cohort study included 6524 US female participants from the Growing Up Today Study (1996-2013). Data were analyzed from February 26, 2020, to June 23, 2021. Exposures: Body mass index (BMI) was estimated using self-reported height and weight through adolescence and converted to BMI for age (z score). Main outcomes and measures: In 2013, premenstrual symptoms and identified PMDs were assessed with a validated scale based on the Calendar of Premenstrual Experiences. The associations of BMI for age with PMDs and premenstrual symptoms were examined using log-binomial and linear regressions, respectively. Results: Among 6524 participants (mean [SD] age, 26 [3.5] years; 6108 [93.6%] White), 1004 (15.4%) met the criteria for a PMD. Baseline BMI for age reported at a mean (SD) age of 12.7 (1.1) years was associated with increased risk of PMDs (confounding-adjusted relative risk, 1.09 per unit of z score; 95% CI, 1.03-1.15) and higher burden of premenstrual symptoms (β = 0.06; 95% CI, 0.04-0.08). Associations were particularly pronounced for premenstrual dysphoric disorder and for PMDs with symptom onset before 20 years of age and remained in the absence of psychiatric comorbidities, including depression, anxiety, and disordered eating behavior. When analyzing BMI change over time, individuals with high BMI throughout adolescence had a higher burden of premenstrual symptoms (β = 0.17; 95% CI, 0.08-0.27) compared with those with normal BMI throughout adolescence. Individuals with high BMI early followed by a mild decrease later did not report higher premenstrual symptoms (β = 0.06; 95% CI, 0.00-0.12). Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study, childhood body size was associated with PMD risk and premenstrual symptoms in young adulthood. These findings suggest that maintaining a normal body mass in childhood may be considered for lowering the burden of PMDs in adulthood. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[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 Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Survey study, 2026 How common are PMS and PMDD in teenagers, and can a new questionnaire measure their impact? Survey study, 2025 Is the PSST a good screening tool for PMS in Bangladesh? Survey study, 2024 How common are PMS and PMDD in young Turkish women and what factors are linked to them? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD in high school girls, and what factors increase risk? Interview study, 2019 Which PMDD symptoms are most common in college students? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗