Cohort study, 2014
How common are PMS and dysmenorrhea in young women and do they change over time?
Both are very common. PMS affected 80% of Australian women at some point over 13 years; dysmenorrhea affected 60%. Both tend to persist if present, but women follow different patterns: some have symptoms continuously, others develop them later, some recover, and some have them on and off.
What they did
Prospective cohort study of 9671 young Australian women randomly selected from the Medicare database. They were surveyed repeatedly over 13 years about premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea symptoms to identify distinct patterns of symptom development.
What they found
PMS prevalence ranged from 33% to 41% at any given time; dysmenorrhea from 21% to 26%. Among women who reported symptoms in three consecutive surveys, 75% continued reporting PMS and 70% dysmenorrhea. Four trajectory patterns were found for both conditions. PMS occurred in 80% of women over the study period: 22.1% intermittently, 21.9% late onset, 26.5% recovering, and 29.5% chronic. Dysmenorrhea affected 60% of women with similar patterns. Smoking and illicit drug use were more common among women with persistent PMS; smoking and obesity were more common among women with persistent dysmenorrhea.
What it means for you
These conditions are very common and often long-lasting rather than one-time experiences. Different women follow different patterns, which may help identify who will need ongoing treatment. This describes Australian women so may not apply equally to other countries.
9671
women followed for 13 years
80%
experienced PMS at some point
29.5%
had chronic PMS throughout the study
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea: symptom trajectories over 13 years in young adults
- Authors
- Ju H, Jones M, Mishra GD
- Journal
- Maturitas
- Year
- 2014
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 9,671
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.03.008
Topics
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