Study, 2015
Does how women smokers react to stress change during their menstrual cycle?
Yes. Women smokers react to stress differently depending on where they are in their cycle.
What they did
Researchers studied female smokers in different cycle phases and compared them to male smokers. Home testing kits determined whether women were in the follicular phase (n = 22) or luteal phase (n = 15). Male smokers (n = 53) were also tested. All participants listened to their own personalized stress script and a relaxed script while researchers measured craving, stress, and emotional reactions.
What they found
Women in the luteal phase reported more craving than men. Women in the follicular phase reported more stress and arousal than men and found stress cues more emotionally difficult. There were no differences between women in the follicular versus luteal phases on any measures tested.
What it means for you
How women smokers react to stress may depend on their cycle phase. The sample was small and these findings are preliminary.
22
Women smokers in follicular phase
15
Women smokers in luteal phase
53
Male smokers
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual cycle phase effects in the gender dimorphic stress cue reactivity of smokers
- Authors
- Saladin ME, Wray JM, Carpenter MJ et al.
- Journal
- Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
- Year
- 2015
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 53
- What was tested
- Stress script and relaxation script during laboratory testing
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntu203
Topics
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