Type of Dysmenorrhea, Menstrual Characteristics and Symptoms in Nursing Students in Southern Spain.

Ana Abreu-Sánchez,María Laura Parra-Fernández,Elia Fernández-Martínez,Juan Diego Ramos-Pichardo,María Dolores Onieva-Zafra

doi:10.3390/healthcare8030302

Ana Abreu-Sánchez, María Laura Parra-Fernández + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8030302

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Abstract

Dysmenorrhea is a form of chronic pain associated with menstruation that affects a high percentage of young people. This study sought to determine the prevalence of primary and secondary dysmenorrhea among female nursing students in southern Spain and to compare their menstrual characteristics and symptoms. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using a self-report questionnaire that included sociodemographic variables, menstrual characteristics and related symptoms. Descriptive bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression were performed in which the dependent variable was secondary dysmenorrhea. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 73.8% (of which 63.3% had primary dysmenorrhea and 10.5% had secondary dysmenorrhea), and was more likely in women with longer periods, heavier bleeding and those not using oral hormonal contraception (OCP). Secondary dysmenorrhea was 31.75, (confidence interval (CI)95% = 4.44–238.59; p < 0.01) times more likely among those with menstrual headache, 8.37 (CI95% = 2.35–19.80; p < 0.01), times greater among those suffering nausea during menstruation, 6.60 (CI95% = 1.42–30.67; p < 0.01), times greater among those suffering from menstrual vomiting, it was also 1.17 (CI95% = 1.08–1.26; p < 0.01) times more likely for each day that the period was prolonged and 6.63 (CI95% = 1.47–30.01; p = 0.014) times more likely in women with a heavy menstrual flow. These findings may help guide professionals towards the prescription of additional tests in certain cases in which secondary dysmenorrhea is suspected.

Highlights

A normal menstrual cycle is defined as a regular cycle ranging from 24 to 38 days, with an average blood loss of 5 to 80 menstrual flow (mL), lasting 4.5 to 8 days [1,2]
Menstrual pain or dysmenorrhea is a chronic, recurrent type of pain that manifests as menstrual cramps or painful periods, usually in the form of pelvic or lower abdominal pain, it can be experienced as low back pain and may be accompanied by other menstrual symptoms [7,8]
This may make it easier to identify women who potentially have this problem in a clinical interview. If these results are corroborated in multicenter studies with larger sample sizes, it could be very useful to optimize resources by prescribing tests for the differential diagnosis of the type of dysmenorrhea among women with certain specific profiles. Another noteworthy finding is that we have identified that both women with and without dysmenorrhea often display a variety of menstrual symptoms, suggesting a need for greater awareness in this regard, both among professionals and the general population

Summary

Introduction

A normal menstrual cycle is defined as a regular cycle ranging from 24 to 38 days, with an average blood loss of 5 to 80 mL, lasting 4.5 to 8 days [1,2]. Some women experience symptoms during menstruation that may condition their quality of life, especially among younger women. These include menstrual pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, irritability, depressive symptoms and headache. These symptoms, and menstrual pain in particular, can lead to absenteeism and reduced performance, and have significant socioeconomic repercussions [3,4,5]. Menstrual pain or dysmenorrhea is a chronic, recurrent type of pain that manifests as menstrual cramps or painful periods, usually in the form of pelvic or lower abdominal pain, it can be experienced as low back pain and may be accompanied by other menstrual symptoms [7,8]

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