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Cohort study, 1994

How common is premenstrual syndrome in teenage girls?

PMS affects about 1 in 7 teenage girls (14%). Girls with PMS reported more anxiety, trouble concentrating, and poor health, though childhood factors did not predict who would develop it.

Early or limited evidence 384 girls aged 15 in a health development study

What they did

384 fifteen-year-old girls in a health development study reported whether they had PMS symptoms. Researchers checked whether their childhood health and mothers' reports predicted PMS.

What they found

14% of the girls met criteria for PMS. The girls with PMS were more likely to report anxiety, inattention, and poor health. How their mothers rated their preadolescent health or the girls' preadolescent self-report did not predict PMS.

What it means for you

PMS is fairly common in teenage girls, affecting about 1 in 7. It seems linked to how girls feel about their current health and anxiety, not early childhood factors. The study looked at only one age group at one point in time.

384

Girls studied

14%

With PMS

15

Age in years

About the study

Original title
PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES OF THE PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME IN ADOLESCENCE
Authors
Shyamala Nada Raja, Michael Feehan, Warren R. Stanton et al.
Journal
PEDIATRICS
Year
1994
Study design
Cohort study
What was tested
none

Topics