Abstract
Background: Menstrual period is a critical time in the life of females. It influences different daily life aspects, including physical status, academic performance, mood, diet, exercise and sleep pattern. Few studies were conducted to investigate its impact on medical students. Objective: To determine the impact of the menstrual period on female medical students. Methods: This is a cross sectional study on Arabian Gulf University medical students. A self -administered questionnaire was developed for the purpose of this study. It included the following variables: socio-demographic characteristics, menstrual history, academic performance and habits (sleeping, appetite, exercise, mood and social relationships) during the menstrual period. The questionnaires were distributed to two hundred twenty-six female medical students during the academic year 2011-2012. Results: The mean age of menarche of the study population was 12.7 ± 1.5 years. The majority (90.7%) of the students experienced symptoms during their menstrual period, with the commonest five being abdominal cramps (90.7%), backache (82.7%), tiredness (80.4%), pelvic pain (74.0%) and bloating (65.2%) Pain was reported as the most common cause of exercise discontinuation during menstruation (42.86%). The menstrual period affected their amount of sleep (73.3%), sleep quality (60%), diet (73.8%) and exercise (60.7%). Academic performance was affected as well; study time (76.0%), concentration (65.8%), group activities (58.1%), examination performance (51.8%) and attendance (40.8%). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the menstrual cycle has different effects on female medical students’ physical conditions, academic performance and habits. Further research should be conducted to study the effect of menstruation on Arab females.
Highlights
The menstrual cycle involves many psychological changes, such as irritability, mood liability, depression and anxiety
Further research should be conducted to study the effect of menstruation on Arab females
Overweight, physical activity and stress increased the duration of the menstrual cycle of female college students in the United States [7]
Summary
The menstrual cycle involves many psychological changes, such as irritability, mood liability, depression and anxiety. The most prevalent physical symptoms of the menstrual cycle include breast tenderness, diarrhea, back pain, vomiting and fluid retention [1,2,3,4]. Overweight, physical activity and stress increased the duration of the menstrual cycle of female college students in the United States [7]. The majority of women experience negative effects during the menstrual period, some find that it positively influences their mood and mental status [1,2,3,4]. Menstrual period is a critical time in the life of females. It influences different daily life aspects, including physical status, academic performance, mood, diet, exercise and sleep pattern. Few studies were conducted to investigate its impact on medical students
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.
