Skip to content

Survey study, 2016

Is there a link between body weight and having PMS?

Yes. Women who are overweight are much more likely to have PMS than women at healthy weight. The link is very strong in this study.

Early or limited evidence 133 female medical students in Indonesia

What they did

Cross-sectional study of 133 female medical students in Indonesia. Researchers measured body mass index and diagnosed PMS using a questionnaire based on American Psychiatric Association criteria.

What they found

55.6% of all students had PMS. Among overweight women, 96.15% had PMS. As body mass index increased, the likelihood of having PMS also increased.

What it means for you

Higher body weight is strongly linked with PMS. Fat tissue produces estrogen, which may increase PMS risk. The study was done at one university in Indonesia, so results may not apply to other groups.

55.6%

Overall PMS rate

96.15%

PMS rate in overweight women

133

Students studied

About the study

Original title
Hubungan Indeks Massa Tubuh Dengan Kejadian Premenstrual Syndrome Pada Mahasiswi Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Halu Oleo Angkatan 2012-2013
Authors
Amiruddin Eso, Juminten Saimin, Luphyta Nimandana
Journal
MEDULA
Year
2016
Study design
Survey study
Participants
133
What was tested
None

Topics