Survey study, 2025
How do premenstrual symptoms affect girls' development and well-being?
Girls with premenstrual symptoms had lower scores on measures of positive development, including competence, confidence and social connection. This was partly because symptoms lowered their body satisfaction. Physical exercise helped protect against some negative effects.
What they did
Cross-sectional survey of 2,837 students in grades 7-9 in rural China, including 1,378 girls who had started their periods. Students completed questionnaires measuring premenstrual symptoms, positive development factors (competence, confidence, connection, character, caring), body satisfaction and physical exercise.
What they found
Girls with premenstrual symptoms had lower competence, confidence, connection and body satisfaction. The negative effect of symptoms on development partly happened through lowered body satisfaction. Physical exercise reduced the harmful effects of symptoms on character and connection. Girls who had started menstruation had higher caring scores.
What it means for you
Premenstrual symptoms affect girls' emotional and social development, not just their physical health. Body satisfaction appears to play a role in how symptoms impact development. Exercise may protect against some negative effects. This was a large study but cross-sectional, so we cannot determine whether symptoms cause these effects or if other factors are involved.
2837
total students
1378
girls with menarche
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual symptoms and the 5Cs: The moderating role of physical exercise and the mediating role of body satisfaction
- Authors
- Qinian Chen, Ling Jiang, Yueming Hui et al.
- Journal
- Applied Developmental Science
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 2,837
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2025.2476619
Topics
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