Abstract
BackgroundDysmenorrhea is one of the most common menstrual disorders and is influenced by various factors. Psychological disorders including anxiety, depression, and stress have been suggested as influencing dysmenorrhea, but previous findings are inconsistent. This study will investigate the relationship between depression/anxiety/stress and dysmenorrhea using a systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsOnline databases including PsycINFO, Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, ProQuest, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Embase will be searched. Appropriate keywords and MeSH terms will be used to retrieve the journal papers published from 1990 until the end of December 2019. To improve search coverage, the reference lists of all included studies will be reviewed to find eligible papers. Inclusion criteria include the following: descriptive, cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies; the relationship between depression/anxiety/stress and dysmenorrhea being an objective of the study; and published in peer-reviewed journals. The paper selection, data extraction, and quality assessment of selected studies will be performed independently by two researchers, and disagreements will be resolved through discussions. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale will be used to assess the quality of selected studies. A quantitative synthesis will be performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) via the STATA software, if retrieving enough number of studies with no severe methodological heterogeneities. Otherwise, qualitative synthesis will be used to report the findings.DiscussionTo the best of our knowledge, this will be the first systematic review on this topic. Performing an inclusive search in major databases over a wide timescale is one key strength of the proposed study and will maximize the coverage of the original research studies on this topic. Results of present study are expected to lead to deeper understanding the relationship between common mental health conditions and dysmenorrhea.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42018102199
Highlights
Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common menstrual disorders and is influenced by various factors
If menstrual cramps are developed without any pelvic pathology, they are classified as primary dysmenorrhea, which almost always occurs in women aged 20 years or younger
Dysmenorrhea is one of the most frequent discomforting gynecological conditions influencing the quality of life and social activities among women [1, 4]
Summary
Review preparation and registration The protocol of this systematic review was prepared according to the PRISMA-P guidelines [40]. Potential confounding variables Other characteristics include age, marital status, menstrual characteristics (such as menstrual regularity, duration, or amount of bleeding), family history of dysmenorrhea, parity, type of dysmenorrhea, contraception methods, existence of chronic disease, diagnostic methods for depression, anxiety or stress, study design, and study quality will be considered as potential confounders These variables will be used for subgroup analysis. If the number of studies allows further stratification (and to assess the potential sources of heterogeneity), sub-analysis will be conducted for age, type of dysmenorrhea, menstrual characteristics, family history of dysmenorrhea, parity, study size (large vs small studies), geography (country/region of residence), risk of bias (high vs small risk of bias), and instrument used to diagnose depression (or depressive syndrome), anxiety, and stress. If meta-analysis is not possible, the qualitative synthesis will be used to report the findings
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
