The Association of Life Style Factors with Menstrual Symptoms in Women Serving Aboard U.S. Navy Ships

Abstract

Abstract : It has been estimated that 50-85% of women in the United States currently having menstrual periods experience dysmenorrhea and other menstrual or premenstrual symptoms, and that 3.5-7 million are incapacitated for one to two days each month because of these symptoms. Previous studies examining the association of behavioral and life style factors such as obesity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise with menstrual symptoms have yielded inconsistent results, with some showing positive association and others showing either no association or a negative association. Because these life style factors are all potentially modifiable, the demonstration and elucidation of their association with menstrual symptoms represents an important avenue of research. Most previous studies of the association of life style variables with menstrual disorders have relied on small clinic- or physician-based samples of women, or small samples of college students. There have been relatively few large, population-based studies of the association of behavioral and life style variables with dysmenorrhea or other menstrual symptoms. Results suggested that interventions targeted at smoking cessation might be useful to reduce the prevalence of menstrual symptoms, cycle disorders and time lost from work.