Randomised trial, 2014
How do menstrual cycle phase and depression affect smoking withdrawal symptoms?
Depression level was more strongly linked to withdrawal symptoms than menstrual phase. However, the combination of depression and menstrual phase may worsen mood and period pain.
What they did
Cross-over lab study with 147 premenopausal smokers. Each woman completed two separate six-day weeks, one during follicular phase and one during luteal phase, in random order. Each week had two days of smoking as usual followed by four days of verified smoking abstinence. Symptoms were measured daily.
What they found
Of 11 symptoms studied, 6 were linked to menstrual phase and 9 to depressive symptoms. Two interactions showed stronger associations between depression, negative feelings, and period pain during the follicular phase compared to the luteal phase.
What it means for you
When women try to quit smoking, managing depression may be more important than worrying about which part of their menstrual cycle they are in. The main limitation is that these were short lab sessions, not real-world quit attempts, so results may not apply to actual quitting.
147
participants
6 of 11
symptoms linked to menstrual phase
9 of 11
symptoms linked to depression
About the study
- Original title
- Smoking- and menstrual-related symptomatology during short-term smoking abstinence by menstrual phase and depressive symptoms
- Authors
- Allen SS, Allen AM, Tosun N et al.
- Journal
- Addictive behaviors
- Year
- 2014
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 147
- What was tested
- Smoking abstinence for four days during different menstrual cycle phases
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.01.029
Topics
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