--- title: Are depression, fatigue, and low body esteem linked to premenstrual symptoms? description: Yes. All three factors were significantly linked to premenstrual symptoms. Depression, menstrual cycle irregularity, menstrual pain, and low body esteem toget url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/do-depression-fatigue-and-body-esteem-influence-premenstrual-symptoms-in-nursing-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are depression, fatigue, and low body esteem linked to premenstrual symptoms? Survey study, 2020 # Are depression, fatigue, and low body esteem linked to premenstrual symptoms? Yes. All three factors were significantly linked to premenstrual symptoms. Depression, menstrual cycle irregularity, menstrual pain, and low body esteem together explained 41% of variation in symptoms. Early or limited evidence 145 nursing students at a university in Changwon, Korea ## What they did Cross-sectional study of 145 nursing students at a university in Korea. Participants completed questionnaires measuring premenstrual symptoms, depression, fatigue, and body esteem between November 2 and November 30, 2019. Researchers analyzed how these factors were correlated and which best predicted premenstrual symptoms. ## What they found The mean premenstrual symptom score was 2.52 (low level). 15.2% had moderate depression and 9.7% had severe depression. Depression, menstrual cycle irregularity, menstrual pain, and lower body esteem were all significantly linked to higher premenstrual symptoms. These four factors together explained 41% of the variation in premenstrual symptom scores. ## What it means for you Mental health, physical factors like menstrual regularity and pain, and body image are all linked to premenstrual symptoms. However, these factors explain only 41% of symptoms, meaning other causes not measured in this study also play a role. The results are limited to nursing students at one university in Korea. 145 nursing students 15.2% had moderate depression 41% of symptom variation explained by these factors ## About the study Original title [Do depression, fatigue, and body esteem influence premenstrual symptoms in nursing students?] Authors Lee EJ, Yang SK Journal Korean journal of women health nursing Year 2020 Study design Survey study Participants 145 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2020.09.10](https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2020.09.10) Original abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting premenstrual symptoms among nursing students, focusing on depression, fatigue, and body esteem. Methods: The participants were 145 nursing students at a university located in Changwon, Korea. Data were collected from November 2 to November 30, 2019 using self-reported structured questionnaires, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis. Results: The mean item score for premenstrual symptoms was 2.52±0.92, indicating a low level. The mean score for depression was 16.05±7.72, and 15.2% of participants were found to be moderately depressed and 9.7% severely depressed. The mean item score for fatigue was 4.84±0.84, indicating a moderate level, and body esteem was 2.94±0.44, indicating a moderate level. The premenstrual symptoms of nursing students showed a statistically significant correlation with depression (r=-.58, p p p p p =.009), menstrual cycle irregularity (β=.17, p =.013), and body esteem (β=-.14, p =.038). The total explanatory power of these variables was 41.0%. Conclusion: Findings from this sample of nursing students suggest that intervention programs to relieve premenstrual symptoms should focus on depression, menstrual cycle regularity, dysmenorrhea, and body esteem. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Fatigue and energy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-fatigue/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) 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 Survey study, 2026 How common is PMDD among college women and what increases the risk? Survey study, 2025 Do adverse childhood experiences increase PMS and menstrual symptoms in adulthood? Survey study, 2024 Did COVID-19 stress cause changes in menstrual cycles? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS, PMDD, anxiety, and depression in rural adolescent girls? Cohort study, 2026 Is there a link between excessive anxiety and mood changes during the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2024 What factors are linked to PMDD in female university students? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗