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Survey study, 2023

How common is PMDD among female medical students and does it affect their quality of life?

PMDD affected 12.1% of female medical students studied. Women with PMDD reported significantly lower physical and mental quality of life compared to those without PMDD.

Early or limited evidence 635 female medical students (3rd to final year) at Fatima Jinnah Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan

What they did

Surveyed 635 female medical students (3rd to final year) at one university in Pakistan from November 2019 to April 2020. Researchers assessed PMDD using medical diagnostic criteria and measured quality of life using a WHO scale.

What they found

12.1% (77 out of 635) of the female medical students met criteria for PMDD. Students with PMDD had significantly lower scores in physical and psychological aspects of quality of life compared to students without PMDD (p-value less than 0.001).

What it means for you

A substantial proportion of female medical students have PMDD, and it meaningfully reduces their physical and mental wellbeing. The main limitation is that this includes only medical students at one university in Pakistan, so results may not apply to all women.

12.1%

PMDD prevalence among participants

77

Number with PMDD

<0.001

p-value for quality of life difference

About the study

Original title
Frequency of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and Comparison of Quality of Life between Female Medical Students with and without Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Authors
Mahmood Z, Butt A, Cheema MA
Journal
Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP
Year
2023
Study design
Survey study
Participants
635
What was tested
None; this was an observational study
Open access
Yes

Topics