--- title: Do Asian and Caucasian women experience different PMS symptoms? description: Yes. Asian women reported significantly higher rates of mood swings, depression, food cravings, digestive problems, and menstrual cramps, and had shorter mens url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-syndrome-characteristics-in-caucasian-and-asian-women-a-survey-2018/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do Asian and Caucasian women experience different PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2018 # Do Asian and Caucasian women experience different PMS symptoms? Yes. Asian women reported significantly higher rates of mood swings, depression, food cravings, digestive problems, and menstrual cramps, and had shorter menstrual periods. Early or limited evidence 47 Asian and 47 Caucasian women aged 18-55 with PMS living in Denmark ## What they did Online survey of women with PMS living in Denmark. 47 were Asian and 47 were Caucasian, aged 18-55. Participants completed a 36-question questionnaire about their PMS symptoms. ## What they found Asian women had higher ratings of mood swings, depression and food cravings (p < 0.05) compared to Caucasian women. Asian women also had higher rates of digestion problems (p < 0.05), higher rates of cramps and nausea during menstruation, and shorter menstruation periods (p < 0.05). ## What it means for you There may be ethnic differences in how women experience PMS, but the reasons are unclear and could involve genetics, environment, or other factors. The sample was small and only in Denmark, so findings may not apply to other populations. 47 Asian women 47 Caucasian women 18-55 age range in years ## About the study Original title Premenstrual Syndrome Characteristics in Caucasian and Asian Women: A Survey - Based Study in Denmark Authors Anahita Nikbakht, Parisa Gazerani Journal Current Opinion in Gynecology and Obstetrics Year 2018 Study design Survey study What was tested None - observational survey Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.18314/cogo.v1i1.1295](https://doi.org/10.18314/cogo.v1i1.1295) Original abstract Women of reproductive age present one or more emotional or physical symptoms in premenstrual phase of their menstrual cycle, which is collectively called premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Estimates show that about 5 to 8% of women suffer from severe PMS. This form has been termed as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Diagnostic criteria have been proposed for PMDD. For the purpose of this research work, the term PMS was used to include variants of premenstrual syndrome in general. Common symptoms include but not limited to breast swelling, food cravings, bloating, mood swings and backache. The etiology of PMS remains unclear; but available evidence suggests that genetics and environmental factors may influence the PMS experience and its severity. The present study was designed to investigate PMS experience and characteristics in two ethnic groups of Caucasian and Asian women living in Denmark. An online survey-based methodology was applied to target Asians and Caucasians women (18-55 years) with PMS, living in different regions in Denmark. The questionnaire consisted of 36 questions to cover the required information for the purpose of this study. Regression analysis was applied to find the association between PMSassociated factors and ethnicity. Asian (47) in comparison with Caucasian women (47) presented with higher ratings of several PMS symptoms such as mood swings, depression and food cravings (p < 0.05). Asian women were also found with higher rate in digestion problems (p < 0.05) and higher rate of cramps and nausea during menstruation and a shorter menstruation period compared with the Caucasians (p < 0.05). This study highlighted that Asian women had higher rates of both psychological and physiological factors in relation to PMS. Potential reasons for a difference between Asian and Caucasian women living in Demark is not clear, and need further investigation. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Mood swings and emotion regulation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-emotional-regulation/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2022 How common are premenstrual symptoms, and do they change with age? Randomised trial, 2002 Does the birth control pill Yasmin help women with PMDD? Study, 2022 What are the symptoms, causes, and treatments of PMS and PMDD? Survey study, 2002 How common is premenstrual dysphoric disorder among women in Morocco? Case-control study, 1997 Are PMDD and eating disorders related? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗