Interview study, 1999
How do healthy women perceive and understand their premenstrual symptoms?
Women view premenstrual symptoms as normal, everyday experiences rather than a medical problem. They explain these experiences through a mix of biological, psychological, and social factors and manage them with regular strategies.
What they did
Researchers interviewed 17 women who had previously participated in a symptom diary study 4 years earlier. The interviews were analyzed to identify common themes in how women understood their premenstrual experiences.
What they found
Four main themes emerged. Women said their premenstrual experiences vary widely, that symptoms are normal and common in healthy women, that they explain them through biological, psychological, and social factors, and that they manage them using everyday strategies.
What it means for you
Women generally see premenstrual symptoms as a normal part of life rather than a medical condition needing treatment. This is a very small study based on interviews, so results reflect only these women's views.
17
women interviewed
4
main themes identified
4 years
since original diary study
About the study
- Original title
- Women's perceptions of phenomena they label premenstrual tension: normal experiences reflecting ordinary behaviour
- Authors
- Sveinsdóttir H, Lundman B, Norberg A
- Journal
- Journal of advanced nursing
- Year
- 1999
- Study design
- Interview study
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.01169.x
Topics
Related studies
Survey study, 2023
Is PMDD diagnosis associated with more severe depression and anxiety and lower well-being?
Case-control study, 2022
Does how women think about their period affect how their nervous system responds to stress?
Guideline, 2016
Can education improve understanding and management of PMS in blind teenage girls?
Survey study, 2009
What premenstrual and menstrual symptoms do Chinese women experience?
Case-control study, 2009
How common is irritable bowel syndrome in Korean teenage girls and what causes it?
Study, 1989
Do women with anxiety report more premenstrual symptoms?