A study of menstrual distress questionnaire in first year medical students.

Abstract

AIMS: To study the menstrual symptomatology in I year medical students aged 17-20 years. To gather or obtain a a normative information on symptom prevalence and severity. To identify the symptom severity and its impact or effect on their regular activities, if any, among the study sample by using a menstrual distress questionnaire. Materials and methods: To study the menstrual symptomatology, a cross sectional descriptive study was conducted on 90 first year medical and dental female students, aged between 17 to 20 years. All the participant subjects were given a pre-menstrual distress questionnaire( of 47 symptoms relating to pre-menstrual syndrome, based on a 6-point scale ) to fill up separately in the menstrual, pre-menstrual and inter-menstrual phases of her most recent cycle. Results: In this study 90 subjects had participated and they were studied for the given symptoms separately in each of the three phases of the menstrual cycle, the menstrual phase, the premenstrual phase and the intermenstrual phase. The data was analysed by chi-square test and the statistical significance of the differences between the phases was tested and P-value <0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Conclusion: In the present study it was observed that majority of the subjects in their young reproductive age experience one or other menstrual cycle problems in the form of generalized pain, restlessness, fatigue, dysmenorrohea or in the form of simple unexplained mood disturbances, most of which fall under the category of pre-menstrual syndrome. Pre-menstrual syndrome is not identified by most of the girls and is not properly treated or taken care off, rather is neglected quite often.