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Cohort study, 2012

What are the most common moderate-to-severe PMS symptoms in Chinese women?

Mood swings are the most common moderate-to-severe symptom, peaking before menstruation. However, a high dropout rate (only 67 of 142 women completed the diary) limits how reliable this finding is.

Early or limited evidence 142 Chinese women with self-reported PMS, aged 18-45; 67 completed full tracking.

What they did

A descriptive study of 142 Chinese women with self-reported PMS. Of these, 126 were eligible and 67 completed daily symptom tracking for two consecutive menstrual cycles using a symptom diary.

What they found

Among the 67 women who completed the diary, mood swings were the most common moderate-to-severe symptom. Symptom scores peaked the day before menstruation and dropped when menstruation began. Symptoms were relatively consistent across the two cycles.

What it means for you

Mood swings are a major burden for women with moderate-to-severe PMS and are the most common psychological symptom. However, the high dropout rate and small final sample limit how much we can generalize these findings to other populations.

142

Women enrolled

67

Completed full tracking

2

Menstrual cycles tracked

About the study

Original title
Pattern of moderate-to-severe symptoms of premenstrual syndrome in a selected hospital in China
Authors
Wang YH, Lin SQ, Chen R et al.
Journal
The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
Year
2012
Study design
Cohort study
Participants
142
What was tested
None; observational study.

Topics