Cohort study, 2002
What factors affect how severe PMS symptoms are?
PMS severity varies among women and is influenced by age, race/ethnicity, health status, and oral contraceptive use. Women with more health conditions have worse symptoms.
What they did
1194 women aged 21-45 from a California health maintenance organization completed daily symptom ratings for two menstrual cycles and answered questions about their demographics, health, and lifestyle.
What they found
Symptom severity was significantly greater in the PMDD group (P <.001). Severity increased with each comorbidity and decreased with each year of age. Hispanics reported greater severity of symptoms than whites, and Asians reported less. Herbal and nutritional supplement use increased from 10.8% in the minimal symptom group to 30.4% in the PMDD group (P <.01).
What it means for you
PMS severity is individual and consistent for each woman over two cycles, linked to age, ethnicity, and overall health. The study was limited to one health maintenance organization in northern California.
1194
women studied
10.8% to 30.4%
using herbal or nutritional supplements
56
women with PMDD
About the study
- Original title
- Severity of premenstrual symptoms in a health maintenance organization population
- Authors
- Sternfeld B, Swindle R, Chawla A et al.
- Journal
- Obstetrics and gynecology
- Year
- 2002
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 1,194
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0029-7844(02)01958-0
Topics
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