Skip to content

Survey study, 2020

How common is PMS in high school girls in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and what factors are linked to it?

PMS affects 37% of high school girls. Smoking exposure and having a family history of painful periods were linked to having PMS.

Early or limited evidence 400 female high school students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, average age 16.7 years

What they did

Researchers surveyed 400 female high school students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (average age 16.7 years) using a questionnaire to assess PMS and identify factors linked to it.

What they found

37% of the girls had PMS. Girls in the 3rd year of school had PMS more often than younger students. More Saudi national girls had PMS than non-Saudi girls. Menstrual pain was the most common PMS symptom. Smoking (active or passive) and having a family history of painful periods were linked to having PMS.

What it means for you

PMS is common in teenage girls in this Saudi city, affecting more than one in three. Smoking exposure and family history of painful periods may be linked to higher PMS risk. The study was done in one city in Saudi Arabia, so findings may not apply to girls in other countries.

400

high school girls studied

37%

with PMS

16.7 years

average age

About the study

Original title
Predictors of Premenstrual Syndrome among Female Students at Governmental Secondary Schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors
Iman Mohmad Wahby Salem, Mashael Yahya Alsamti, Manal Abdulaziz Murad
Journal
The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine
Year
2020
Study design
Survey study
Participants
64,926
What was tested
None
Open access
Yes

Topics