---
title: What premenstrual symptoms do Nigerian university women have and what factors are linked to them?
description: About half of Nigerian university women had premenstrual symptoms at rates similar to Western countries, with breast tenderness being the most common symptom.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/pattern-and-correlates-of-premenstrual-symptomatology-amongst-nigerian-2009/
---

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- What premenstrual symptoms do Nigerian university women have and what factors are linked to them?

Survey study, 2009

# What premenstrual symptoms do Nigerian university women have and what factors are linked to them?

About half of Nigerian university women had premenstrual symptoms at rates similar to Western countries, with breast tenderness being the most common symptom.

 Moderate study design

409 female university students in Nigeria

## What they did

409 female university students in Nigeria completed questionnaires about their age, menstrual history, personality traits, and premenstrual symptoms.

## What they found

50.1% of women had premenstrual symptoms. The most common symptoms were breast tenderness (35.5%), sleeplessness (15.6%), decreased interest in activities (15.4%), lethargy or fatigue (13.2%), and appetite change (13.2%). Women with more symptoms tended to be older, have more severe menstrual pain, have certain personality traits like neuroticism, and have higher body mass index.

## What it means for you

PMS is common in Nigerian women at rates similar to Western countries. The study was limited to university students in one country, so results may not apply to all Nigerian women or other groups.

409

women surveyed

50.1%

had premenstrual symptoms

35.5%

had breast tenderness

## About the study

Original title Pattern and correlates of premenstrual symptomatology amongst Nigerian University students Authors Adewuya AO, Loto OM, Adewumi TA Journal Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology Year 2009 Study design Survey study Participants 409 What was tested None (survey) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/01674820802545446](https://doi.org/10.1080/01674820802545446)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

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Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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