Survey study, 1986
Do Black women and White women experience PMS differently?
No clear difference. Black women and White women reported similar rates and severity of premenstrual symptoms, except Black women reported more food cravings. The difference in who seeks treatment is likely due to social and cultural factors, not differences in symptoms.
What they did
Researchers surveyed a community-based sample of Black and White women about their premenstrual symptoms.
What they found
No difference in how common or severe premenstrual symptoms were between Black and White women, except Black women had a higher prevalence of food cravings.
What it means for you
PMS affects women of all races similarly. Differences in who gets treated for PMS are likely due to cultural and social factors rather than differences in how much women experience symptoms. This was a community-based sample, which strengthens the finding, but the mechanisms behind care-seeking differences were not studied.
similar rates
in both racial groups
food cravings
higher in Black women
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual symptoms in black and white community samples
- Authors
- Stout AL, Grady TA, Steege JF et al.
- Journal
- The American journal of psychiatry
- Year
- 1986
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1176/ajp.143.11.1436