Abstract
The present study analyses the management of primary dysmenorrhea by university students in the south of Spain. In this cross-sectional observational study, 224 women participated, using an ad hoc self-report questionnaire about menstrual pain and self-care and including sociodemographic and gynecological variables. Some 76.8% of participants consumed analgesics and the majority self-medicated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) without consulting a health professional, with a correlation between pain intensity and the number of pills ingested during menstruation (r = 0.151, p < 0.05). The higher proportion of women who found their analgesia effective were those who took medication after being prescribed by a health care provider (60.8%) compared to those who self-medicated (40%; p < 0.01). Only 43.8% employed non-pharmaceutical methods, most commonly antalgic positions, massages and local heat. These choices were not related to the intensity of menstrual pain nor with the severity of the dysmenorrhea, nor did these most common methods prove to be the most effective. However, a higher percentage of women using non-pharmacological methods was identified in women with family members suffering from dysmenorrhea (73.2%) compared to those without (60%; p = 0.040), which may indicate that the choice of remedies is more related to learning self-care in the family context. This study identifies the need for education on self-care and management of menstrual pain.
Highlights
Primary dysmenorrhea is pain associated with menstruation in which there is no identified organic cause and which is fundamentally associated with an excess of prostaglandins [1,2,3]
In Spain, there are few studies on this problem; we found only two studies, which estimate the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among the general population to be 56–62% [9,10], while among Spanish university students the prevalence is estimated at approximately 75% [11]
The present study aimed to analyze the methods of pain relief used by female university students in the south of Spain, Huelva, suffering from primary dysmenorrhea
Summary
Primary dysmenorrhea is pain associated with menstruation in which there is no identified organic cause and which is fundamentally associated with an excess of prostaglandins [1,2,3]. In Spain, there are few studies on this problem; we found only two studies, which estimate the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among the general population to be 56–62% [9,10], while among Spanish university students the prevalence is estimated at approximately 75% [11]. Public Health 2020, 17, 5570; doi:10.3390/ijerph17155570 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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 callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: 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.
