Are depression, fatigue, and low body esteem linked to premenstrual symptoms?

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.

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