Prevalence and Related Risk of Primary Dysmenorrhea Among Students in Boarding School: A Descriptive Study
Abstract
Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a lower abdominal or pelvic pain during menstruation and can have a negative impact on daily activities. This study aims to determine prevalence of PD and risk factors in boarding school students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 130 boarding school students. The severity of PD was assessed with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The students were also asked to complete the provided questionnaire. Haemoglobin (Hb) and anthropometric measurements were also taken. The risk factors studied were age, menstrual pattern, regular exercise, and nutritional status. The prevalence of PD was 96.2%. The severity of PD was 17.7% mild, 49.2% moderate, 23.8% severe, and 5.4% very severe. The most common symptoms felt by students were lower abdominal pain (84%), fatigue (50%) and headaches (34.62%). The median (min-max) of age was 16(14-18) years old. From menstrual pattern, 61.5% experiencing irregular menstrual patterns (early, late, or not sure) in the last 3 months. The median duration of menstruation was 7 (5-14) days, and 54.6% had 21-35 days length of menstrual cycle. Only 43.1% of students had regular exercise. The mean of Hb was 12.86±2.11 gr/dL. From nutritional status, there were 6% thinness, 71.5% normal, 13.1% overweight, and 10,8% obese. PD has a high prevalence among boarding school students. The pain experienced during menstruation can interfere with learning activities, academic achievements, and grades. Based on the results of identifying risk factors, the intervention should be made to prevent and reduce PD symptoms both pharmacologically and non-pharmacologically.
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