Assessment of relationship between premenstrual syndrome symptoms with sleep quality and menstrual attitudes in medical students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is defined as the recurring occurrence of some symptoms before and during the early days of menstruation and negatively impacts reproductive-age women and affects their standard of living. PMS is one of the physiological conditions that can affect women’s sleep quality, self-esteem, and impair their standard of living. Aims and Objectives: (i) To assess the correlation between the symptoms of pre-menstruation and quality of sleep; (ii) To assess the correlation between the symptoms of pre-menstruation and attitude towards menstruation; and (iii) To study the result of PMS scale (PMSS) scores by attitudes of menstruation and quality of sleep. Materials and Methods: Study participants who were medical students were instructed to complete the questionnaires regarding socio-anthropological information and questions related to their attitude towards menstruation, quality of sleep, and symptoms of PMS. Results: The study determines a high positive significant correlation between the PMSS score and the mean score of sleep quality (r = 0.894, P < 0.001) and a high negative significant correlation between symptoms of the PMSS score and the total menstrual attitude mean score (r = −0.807, P < 0.001). The total PMSS score was significantly affected by the total score of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (β = 4.603; P < 0.001) and the menstrual attitude questionnaire (β = −4.988; P = 0.001), as shown by multiple linear regression analysis. Conclusion: Poor quality of sleep and a negative menstrual attitude are associated with PMS symptoms. Identifying coping mechanisms for PMS and educating the girls in the reproductive age group may improve their standard of living.