Cohort study, 1985
How common are period symptoms in teenage girls?
Period pain is very common, affecting 44 to 64% of girls, while pain before the period is less common. Symptoms vary widely between girls and often improve after the first few years of having periods.
What they did
They followed 140 Swiss girls from around when they started menstruating, tracking which symptoms they had at different ages over several years.
What they found
Dysmenorrhoea (period pain or cramping) occurred in 44 to 64%, with occasional severe pain being most common (20 to 35%). Premenstrual abdominal pain happened in 9 to 28%. Premenstrual headaches were rare (0 to 5%), while headaches during menstruation were 2 to 11%. Other symptoms included general discomfort (1 to 10%) and premenstrual vaginal discharge (10 to 22%). Dysmenorrhoea was most common in the first three years after starting periods, then decreased. Severe symptoms were reported more often than mild ones.
What it means for you
Period pain is extremely common in teenagers but often improves over time. Experiences vary greatly between girls. This study is from 1985 in Switzerland, so findings may not reflect current generations or other populations.
140
girls
44-64%
had dysmenorrhoea
20-35%
reported occasional severe dysmenorrhoea
About the study
- Original title
- Symptoms related to menstruation in adolescent Swiss girls: a longitudinal study
- Authors
- Flug D, Largo RH, Prader A
- Journal
- Annals of human biology
- Year
- 1985
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 140
- What was tested
- None - observational longitudinal study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/03014468500007651
Topics
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