---
title: Which menstrual cycle features relate to how severe premenstrual symptoms are?
description: PMS symptom severity increases along with period pain (dysmenorrhea) and premenstrual spotting, but not with other menstrual cycle features. Social and psycho
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/relationships-among-premenstrual-symptoms-and-menstrual-cycle-characteristics-1985/
---

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- Which menstrual cycle features relate to how severe premenstrual symptoms are?

Survey study, 1985

# Which menstrual cycle features relate to how severe premenstrual symptoms are?

PMS symptom severity increases along with period pain (dysmenorrhea) and premenstrual spotting, but not with other menstrual cycle features. Social and psychological factors matter more for symptom severity than any menstrual cycle characteristic.

 Early or limited evidence

Women undergoing evaluation for PMS complaints (sample size not specified)

## What they did

They evaluated a large group of women coming for PMS assessment and examined how different menstrual cycle features (cycle length, flow, pain, spotting, timing) related to their premenstrual symptom severity. They also looked at social and psychological factors.

## What they found

Premenstrual symptom severity increased with the severity of period pain and premenstrual spotting. It did not relate to any other menstrual cycle parameter. Social and psychological variables were more strongly associated with variations in premenstrual symptoms than any menstrual cycle parameters.

## What it means for you

If you have severe period pain and spotting before your period, you are likely to have more severe PMS symptoms. However, social and psychological factors in your life matter more for how severe PMS is than the mechanical features of your cycle. This suggests PMS is not only a biological problem of the menstrual cycle.

## About the study

Original title Relationships among premenstrual symptoms and menstrual cycle characteristics Authors Steege JF, Stout AL, Rupp SL Journal Obstetrics and gynecology Year 1985 Study design Survey study Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4038792/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4038792/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)

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