Survey study, 2026
What factors influence PMS severity in adolescent girls?
Mental health is the strongest factor. Girls with higher mental health problems, lower positive beliefs about PMS and fewer enabling resources have more severe PMS.
What they did
A cross-sectional study of 221 eighth- and ninth-grade girls in Shiraz, Iran in 2025. Researchers used questionnaires to measure knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, and enabling factors using the BASNEF model, mental health using the DASS-21, and PMS severity using the PSST. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.
What they found
PMS severity was positively correlated with knowledge (r=0.223, p<0.01) and mental health problems (r=0.778, p<0.01), and negatively correlated with positive beliefs (r=-0.318, p<0.01) and enabling factors (r=-0.237, p<0.01). No significant correlation was found with attitudes or subjective norms. Mental health, enabling factors, and knowledge had the highest total effects on PMS.
What it means for you
Mental health is the strongest factor affecting PMS severity in adolescent girls. Girls with depression, anxiety or stress have much more severe PMS. Interventions should focus on mental health support, building positive beliefs about PMS, and providing enabling resources. However, this is cross-sectional, so causation is unclear, and results are from one city in Iran.
221
eighth- and ninth-grade girls studied
0.778
mental health correlation with PMS severity
-0.318
positive beliefs correlation with PMS severity
About the study
- Original title
- The Correlation between BASNEF Model Constructs, Mental Health, and Severity of Premenstrual Syndrome in Adolescents: A Structural Equation Modeling
- Authors
- Karimi M, Etebari M, Sharifi MH et al.
- Journal
- International journal of school health
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None - knowledge, beliefs and mental health were assessed
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.30476/intjsh.2026.108896.1572
Topics
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