---
title: Is there a link between premenstrual symptoms and period pain in teenage girls?
description: Yes, girls with worse period pain are more likely to have moderate-to-severe PMS or PMDD. However, this shows correlation, not which problem causes the other.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/relationship-between-premenstrual-symptoms-and-dysmenorrhea-in-japanese-high-2012/
---

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- Is there a link between premenstrual symptoms and period pain in teenage girls?

Survey study, 2012

# Is there a link between premenstrual symptoms and period pain in teenage girls?

Yes, girls with worse period pain are more likely to have moderate-to-severe PMS or PMDD. However, this shows correlation, not which problem causes the other.

 Moderate study design

1,431 Japanese high school students

## What they did

A cross-sectional survey of 1,431 Japanese high school students to assess the relationship between premenstrual symptoms and dysmenorrhea (period pain).

## What they found

11.3% were classified with moderate to severe PMS and 3.2% with PMDD. 85% of girls had dysmenorrhea. The severity of PMS and PMDD increased with the severity of dysmenorrhea (rs=0.479).

## What it means for you

Teenage girls with period pain are more likely to have PMS symptoms, and the worse the pain the more likely they are to have moderate-to-severe PMS. However, we cannot tell from this study whether pain causes PMS symptoms, PMS causes pain, or whether they share a common cause. This study was limited to Japanese adolescents and may not apply to adults or other populations.

1,431

high school students

85%

with dysmenorrhea

0.479

correlation between PMS and pain severity

## About the study

Original title Relationship between premenstrual symptoms and dysmenorrhea in Japanese high school students Authors Kitamura M, Takeda T, Koga S et al. Journal Archives of women's mental health Year 2012 Study design Survey study Participants 1,431 What was tested None (observational study) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00737-012-0266-2](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-012-0266-2)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)

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