Abstract
Objective:To characterize the menstrual cycle (regularity and menstrual flow length), the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and self-monitoring of the cycle in students from Lisbon region, and explore the effect of chronological age, age at menarche and body mass index (BMI) on menstrual disorders.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study with 848 girls aged 12–18 years. A questionnaire about the sociodemographic context and characteristics of the menstrual cycle, and weight and height measures were assessed. BMI was classified according to International Obesity Taskforce criteria. A descriptive analysis of the variables was made, and Odds Ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were determined.Results:Mean age at menarche was 12.4 years and mean BMI was 22.0kg/m2. Among adolescents, 59% have regular menstrual cycle, 83% have menstrual flow length of ≤6 days. 88% suffered from dysmenorrhea, among which 8,7% declare absenteeism from school and 49% took pain medication, and 65% self-monitor their menstrual cycle. Higher maternal education was associated with a higher self-monitoring of menstrual cycle among the sample (OR 1.60; 95%CI 1.15–2.17). Girls with menarche <12 years-of-age are more likely to have menstrual flow length of >6 days (OR 1.73; 95%CI 1.19–2.51) and dysmenorrhea (OR 1.87; 95%CI 1.11–3.16) than those with menarche ≥12 years-of-age. No significant association between BMI and menstrual cycle variables was observed.Conclusions:The results suggest that menstrual disorders are frequent and may be associated with early menarche, but not with BMI. It is important to encourage self-monitoring of the menstrual cycle to detect menstrual disorders timely and promote health and well-being.
Highlights
Menarche and menstrual cycle are indicators of female fertility and health.[1]
During the early years after menarche, the duration of the menstrual cycle may be shorter than 20 days or longer than 45, whereas normal cycles range between 21–34 days.[4]
This study aimed to characterize menstrual cycle patterns in adolescents, regarding menstrual cycle regularity, menstrual flow length, and menarche age, to determine the prevalence and impact of dysmenorrhea on school absenteeism, to analyze menstrual cycle self-monitoring, and to explore the effect of chronological age, age at menarche, and overweight on menstrual cycle disorders. This is a cross-sectional study with schoolgirls from the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal, focusing on menstrual cycle characteristics, age at menarche, and body mass index (BMI)
Summary
Menarche and menstrual cycle are indicators of female fertility and health.[1] Menstrual cycle irregularities and primary dysmenorrhea are among the most common female complaints.[2,3] during the early years after menarche, the duration of the menstrual cycle may be shorter than 20 days or longer than 45, whereas normal cycles range between 21–34 days.[4] Longer menstrual cycles may be related with anovulation, which occurs as a consequence of the immaturity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.[4]. Menstrual pain has negative consequences on girls’ quality of life and may interfere with their day-to-day life, resulting, for instance, in school absenteeism.[3,6] Menstrual irregularities or dysmenorrhea are often considered “normal” during adolescence, but both may have an organic cause whose diagnosis can be delayed due to a lack of awareness of the normal pattern of the menstrual cycle. This study aimed to characterize menstrual cycle patterns in adolescents, regarding menstrual cycle regularity, menstrual flow length, and menarche age, to determine the prevalence and impact of dysmenorrhea on school absenteeism, to analyze menstrual cycle self-monitoring, and to explore the effect of chronological age, age at menarche, and overweight on menstrual cycle disorders
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