Survey study, 2022
Does stress affect PMDD symptoms in young women?
Yes. Women with higher stress levels had more PMDD symptoms. Weight did not appear to affect symptoms. Stress accounted for about one-third of the differences in how severe PMDD was.
What they did
Researchers asked 210 female university students in Pakistan (ages 18-30) about their stress levels and PMDD symptoms using online surveys. They then analyzed how stress and weight related to symptom severity.
What they found
Higher perceived stress was linked to more PMDD symptoms. For each increase in stress level, PMDD symptoms increased by 0.58 units. Stress explained 34% of the differences in PMDD severity. Body weight showed no clear effect on symptoms.
What it means for you
Stress appears to play a role in worsening PMDD symptoms for university women. This is a single study in one region of Pakistan, so findings may not apply everywhere. Stress explained about one-third of symptom differences, meaning other factors also matter.
210
female university students studied
34%
of PMDD severity explained by stress
0.58
PMDD increase per stress unit
About the study
- Original title
- The Effect of Perceived Stress and Body Mass Index on Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder among Female University Students
- Authors
- Muddsar Hameed, Mishal Fatima
- Journal
- Life and Science
- Year
- 2022
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 210
- What was tested
- None—observational study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.37185/lns.1.1.227
Topics
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