Prevalence of dysmenorrohea and its impact on daily life activities in first and second year mbbs students

Abstract

AIMS: 1.To evaluate the prevalence of dysmenorrohea and its associated symptoms in first and second year female medical students and 2.To evaluate the impact of dysmenorrohea on their daily life activities. Materials and methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted on 200 female student- subjects studying first and second year MBBS students,aged 18-24 years. The female participants were selected based on certain inclusion-exclusion criteria. All the participants were given a semi-structured menstrual status questionnaire to fill, which had questions related to menstruation, variations in menstrual patterns, presence or absence of dysmenorrohea, its frequency,intensity of pain,associated pre menstrual symptoms, class/ school absenteeism, and effect on their academic performance including physical activities. Statistical analysis: The data was analysed by chi-square test and the statistical significance of the frequency and percentage of dysmenorrohea and its symptoms were tested and P-value <0.001 was taken as statistically significant. Results: Majority (69%) of the adolescent girls under the study group with sample size 200, experience dysmenorrohea and its associated symptoms, around 36% of them experience dysmenorrohea every month and 18% of them in most of the months, with P < 0.001 ;statistically significant. 29% of them did not have dysmenorrohea, 2% of them could not recall dysmenorrohea or any kind of abdominal pain. Conclusions:In the present study it was observed that majority of the subjects in their young reproductive age experience dysmenorrohea and other associated symptoms of menstruation in the form of generalized pain, restlessness, fatigue,or in the form of simple unexplained mood disturbances, even though all cannot be attributed as premenstrual syndrome or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Dysmenorrohea itself has become a major cause of inability to concentrate on their work or studies,class or school absenteeism, inability to perform in their academic activities like physical training or sports, all of which are having a large impact on their daily life activities.