Survey study, 1990
What are the main types of premenstrual symptoms women experience?
A study of 702 Dutch women identified four main symptom types: negative mood, concentration problems, pain, and water retention. This shows that psychological symptoms are as important as physical ones in premenstrual syndrome.
What they did
Researchers studied 702 Dutch women selected for high likelihood of premenstrual symptoms. They completed a questionnaire about menstrual cycle symptoms. Researchers analyzed responses to identify natural groupings of symptoms.
What they found
Instead of the original symptom patterns, four distinct factors emerged: negative affect, concentration problems, pain, and water retention.
What it means for you
Premenstrual symptoms cluster into four distinct types, with mood and thinking problems equally important as physical symptoms like pain and bloating. This is a large study but only included Dutch women selected for expected symptoms, so results may not apply to all women or other populations.
702
Women studied
4 types
Main symptom groups found
Dutch
Country of study population
About the study
- Original title
- The factor structure of the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire--Dutch
- Authors
- Van Der Ploeg HM
- Journal
- Psychological reports
- Year
- 1990
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 702
- What was tested
- None, questionnaire analysis only
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1990.66.3.707
Topics
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