--- title: How common is PMS in medical students and how much does it affect their quality of life? description: 51% of medical students had PMS, with 5.8% having severe PMDD. PMS significantly impaired their mental and physical quality of life and academic performance. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/frequency-intensity-and-impact-of-premenstrual-syndrome-in-medical-students-2008/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How common is PMS in medical students and how much does it affect their quality of life? Cohort study, 2008 # How common is PMS in medical students and how much does it affect their quality of life? 51% of medical students had PMS, with 5.8% having severe PMDD. PMS significantly impaired their mental and physical quality of life and academic performance. Moderate study design 172 unmarried medical students aged 18-25 years in Pakistan ## What they did A study of 172 unmarried medical students aged 18-25 years with regular periods conducted from August to December 2006. PMS was assessed using daily symptom records over two cycles. Quality of life was measured using a standard health questionnaire. ## What they found 89 women (51%) met criteria for PMS: 53 (59.5%) had mild PMS, 26 (29.2%) had moderate, and 10 (11.2%) had severe. 10 women (5.8%) had PMDD. The most common symptoms were anger, irritability, anxiety, tiredness, and difficulty concentrating. Having dysmenorrhea and a family history of PMS increased the risk. Quality of life scores for mental and physical health were significantly lower in women with PMS. ## What it means for you PMS is very common in young women and significantly impacts their mental health, physical health, and ability to study. Schools and clinics should screen for and manage PMS in young women. Limitation: Pakistan-only study in medical students, observational design, may not represent all young women. 51% Medical students meeting PMS criteria 5.8% Students with PMDD 172 Total participants ## About the study Original title Frequency, intensity and impact of premenstrual syndrome in medical students Authors Nisar N, Zehra N, Haider G et al. Journal Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP Year 2008 Study design Cohort study Participants 172 What was tested None - observational study Read the paper [doi.org/08.2008/jcpsp.48148484](https://doi.org/08.2008/jcpsp.48148484) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[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 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? Cohort study, 2026 What menstrual and premenstrual problems do girls with intellectual disability experience? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Cohort study, 2006 How should severe period pain in teenagers be treated? 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 ↗