--- title: Do women remember their PMS symptoms accurately when asked to recall them? description: No. Women overestimated symptoms when recalling them weeks later compared to what they had recorded daily. Only menstrual cramps and backache showed agreement url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/estimating-perimenstrual-distress-a-comparison-of-two-methods-1982/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women remember their PMS symptoms accurately when asked to recall them? Survey study, 1982 # Do women remember their PMS symptoms accurately when asked to recall them? No. Women overestimated symptoms when recalling them weeks later compared to what they had recorded daily. Only menstrual cramps and backache showed agreement between methods. Early or limited evidence 73 women aged 18 to 35 from middle-income neighborhoods ## What they did 73 women aged 18 to 35 kept daily records of their symptoms for 2 months. After the 2-month period, they completed a questionnaire asking them to recall their symptoms from their last menstrual period. ## What they found Estimates of all symptoms on the questionnaire were higher than what women had recorded daily. The biggest differences between the two methods appeared for water retention and negative mood symptoms. Menstrual cramps and premenstrual backache were the only symptoms that showed agreement between the daily diary and the questionnaire. ## What it means for you Women tend to overestimate how severe their symptoms are when asked to remember them. Daily tracking is likely more accurate than remembering symptoms later. The study was limited because it only included women from middle-income neighborhoods. 73 women studied 2 months daily tracking period mood changes biggest differences ## About the study Original title Estimating perimenstrual distress: a comparison of two methods Authors Woods NF, Most A, Dery GK Journal Research in nursing & health Year 1982 Study design Survey study What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1002/nur.4770050209](https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.4770050209) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/) 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 Cohort study, 2026 Do sleep, exercise, and diet quality affect period pain, heavy bleeding, and PMS in midlife? Systematic review, 2026 Does saffron reduce PMS and period pain symptoms? Randomised trial, 2025 Do vitamin D and E supplements reduce menstrual pain and PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2025 Does digital healthcare help manage period pain and PMS? Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗