Cohort study, 2002
Does PMDD cause more healthcare costs and work loss than other premenstrual symptoms?
PMDD affects work productivity more than healthcare costs. Women with PMDD reported significantly lower productivity for 5-10 days after their period starts, but did not use more healthcare or spend more on medical services.
What they did
Tracked 1,194 women ages 21-45 in a California health plan for 2 menstrual cycles. Women recorded daily symptoms. Doctors looked at healthcare visits and costs. Women were sorted into groups based on symptom severity: minimal (186), moderate (801), severe (151), or PMDD (56).
What they found
Women with PMDD had much lower productivity scores in the 5-10 days after their period started compared to women with minimal or moderate symptoms (P<0.01). There was little difference in healthcare spending or time off work between groups. Emergency department, obstetrician/gynecologist, and alternative medicine visits increased with symptom severity, but overall healthcare expenditures did not differ.
What it means for you
The real cost of PMDD is lost work productivity, not doctor visits or hospital care. The main limit is this was from one health plan in California, so results may not apply everywhere.
1,194
women studied
56
women with PMDD
5-10 days
lower productivity after period starts
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: is there an economic burden of illness?
- Authors
- Chawla A, Swindle R, Long S et al.
- Journal
- Medical care
- Year
- 2002
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 1,194
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/01.mlr.0000032191.26152.90
Topics
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