---
title: Do menstrual cycle moods and symptoms affect school grades? | Niyora
description: Yes, but only slightly. Menstrual cycle symptoms predicted grades in 14% of cases premenstrually, 7% during menstruation, and 13% between periods, mostly nega
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effects-of-menstrual-cycle-moods-and-symptoms-on-academic-performance-a-study-of-1997/
---

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- Do menstrual cycle moods and symptoms affect school grades?

Survey study, 1997

# Do menstrual cycle moods and symptoms affect school grades?

Yes, but only slightly. Menstrual cycle symptoms predicted grades in 14% of cases premenstrually, 7% during menstruation, and 13% between periods, mostly negatively, though with some positive effects in certain subjects.

 Early or limited evidence

427 post-pubescent female secondary school students (Years 10, 11, and 12) in Melbourne, Australia

## What they did

Cross-sectional study of 427 post-pubescent female secondary school students in Melbourne, Australia. Researchers compared their Menstrual Distress Questionnaire scores to their previous year-end grades across 18 subjects.

## What they found

At the premenstrual phase, menstrual moods and symptoms significantly predicted grades in 14% of instances. During menstruation, they predicted grades in 7% of instances. In the intermenstrual phase, they predicted grades in 13% of instances. Most relationships were negative. However, arousal and symptoms in the intermenstrual phase positively predicted grades in English Literature, Mathematics, Art and Craft, History, Mathematics 1, and Study of Society.

## What it means for you

The menstrual cycle affects school performance, but the effect is small. The study used old grade records rather than tracking students forward, which is a limitation. The true effect might be different.

427

female secondary school students

18

school subjects studied

14%

premenstrual phase prediction rate

## About the study

Original title Effects of menstrual cycle moods and symptoms on academic performance: a study of senior secondary school students Authors Boyle GJ Journal The British journal of educational psychology Year 1997 Study design Survey study Participants 18 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8279.1997.tb01225.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8279.1997.tb01225.x)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)

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Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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