--- title: What premenstrual symptoms do women experience around the world and how much do they affect daily life? description: The most common symptoms are abdominal bloating, cramps, irritability, breast tenderness, and muscle or back pain. Physical and mental symptoms have similar e url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/global-study-of-women-s-experiences-of-premenstrual-symptoms-and-their-effects-2011/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - What premenstrual symptoms do women experience around the world and how much do they affect daily life? Survey study, 2011 # What premenstrual symptoms do women experience around the world and how much do they affect daily life? The most common symptoms are abdominal bloating, cramps, irritability, breast tenderness, and muscle or back pain. Physical and mental symptoms have similar effects on daily activities. Strong study design 7226 women aged 15-49 from 15 countries worldwide ## What they did Researchers surveyed 7226 women aged 15 to 49 from 15 countries about their premenstrual symptoms and how these affected their daily activities. Participants were asked about 23 different symptoms. ## What they found The most common premenstrual symptoms were abdominal bloating, cramps or abdominal pain, irritability, breast tenderness, and joint or muscle or back pain. When symptoms occurred more often, they tended to be more severe. Physical and mental symptoms had similar effects on daily activities. Younger women, women with fewer pregnancies, non-smokers, and those with more education reported better knowledge of PMS and PMDD. ## What it means for you Women across multiple countries experience similar premenstrual symptoms with similar effects on daily life. This shows premenstrual symptoms are a worldwide concern. However, women's knowledge of and understanding of these symptoms varies by country, education, age, and lifestyle. 7226 Women surveyed 15 Countries represented 23 Symptoms assessed ## About the study Original title Global study of women's experiences of premenstrual symptoms and their effects on daily life Authors Dennerstein L, Lehert P, Heinemann K Journal Menopause international Year 2011 Study design Survey study Participants 7,226 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1258/mi.2011.011027](https://doi.org/10.1258/mi.2011.011027) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) 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, 2002 How common is premenstrual dysphoric disorder among women in Morocco? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Randomised trial, 2021 Does hypnotherapy reduce pain and emotional distress in women with PMDD? Survey study, 2024 What factors are associated with PMS and PMDD in adolescent and young women? Survey study, 2024 Does knowing about Ayurvedic yoga make teenage girls more interested in practicing it for PMS? Survey study, 2023 What is PMS and PMDD, how common are they, and how are they usually treated? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗