The prevalance of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in women in the reproductive age of 18-40 age group: determination of the frequency and severity of symptoms in premenstrual syndrome

Authors

Abstract

Aim Premenstrual menstrual syndrome (PMS) in the reproductive age group of 18-40 is specified and classified, determining which symptoms are seen with what frequency and severity and planning the treatment accordingly.
Methods In this study, 150 women who did not have any previous gynecological disease and no previous gynecological operations in the reproductive age were referred to our clinic. Premenstrual findings assessment form was applied to the participants, 4 of them were sociodemographic, 2 of them were related to menstrual cycle, 14 of them had symptoms and degrees, and 5 of them had effects on daily life.
Results The most common premenstrual symptoms among women in the study were listed as anger / irritability, fatigue / lack of energy and anxiety / tension. Premenstrual syndrome decreased the quality of life of women and this decrease was more pronounced in women aged 21-32 years.
Conclusion Premenstrual syndrome is a common condition in the community. It should be noted that premenstrual syndrome is a treatable condition. If the information is increased, the rate of referral to the doctor can be increased, thus reducing the incidence of premenstrual syndrome and increasing the living standards of women, thus preventing the loss of labor from premenstrual syndrome.

Keywords

Introduction

In the 16th century, Giovanni De Monte of Padua first drew attention to a possible relationship between depression and the menstrual cycle. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), first defined by Frank in 1931, is a collection of psychological, physical and behavioral symptoms that occur in the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle in women of sexual maturity and recur within a few days with the onset of menstruation. In 1953, Green and Dalton described this condition under the name “Premenstrual Syndrome”, which includes both somatic and psychological elements ^1,2.
Frequently described symptoms include abdominal pain, anxiety, shortness of breath, crying attacks, depression, irritability, and swelling in the extremities, all of which occur in the last 7-10 days of the menstrual cycle. In most women with ovulatory function, there is a period during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle that is not normally present in that person. symptoms appear. 20-40% of women say they experience serious premenstrual cycle-related symptoms, and 20% of them report that these symptoms prevent them from daily activities ⁴.
The most reliable way to diagnose PMS is to record complaints for 2-3 months and score their severity. Complaints should be separated into physical and psychological, and when they start and end should be recorded regularly.
The aim of this study is to determine the symptoms and frequency of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in women of reproductive age between the ages of 18-40, to determine which symptoms are seen with what frequency and severity and to plan the treatment accordingly, and to evaluate the relationship between premenstrual syndrome and socio-cultural variables.

Materials and Methods

In this study, 150 people aged 18-40 who applied to the gynecology outpatient clinic of S.B. Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital, experienced premenstrual syndrome in 3 menstrual periods, had no known gynecological disease before, had not undergone any gynecological surgery, and were of childbearing age, accepted the study and answered the questions in the survey completely under the supervision of a doctor. constitutes women.
The data of the study were collected by survey method without taking the names of the participants. In this survey, participants were asked, under the name of the premenstrual findings evaluation form, 4 socio-demographic questions (age, city, number of births, birth control pill use), 2 questions related to the menstrual cycle (menstrual irregularity, severity of menstrual bleeding pain) and 14 questions about the symptoms and their degrees. (symptoms that begin before menstruation and disappear a few days after bleeding begins: anger/irritability, anxiety/anxiety/tension, tearfulness/sensitivity to rejection, pessimistic mood, decreased interest in work-related activities, decreased interest in home-related activities, Premenstrual symptoms, 5 of which include the effects of symptoms on daily life (work, friends, family, social life) screening tool (PSST) test was applied.
The questions asked to the women participating in the study were grouped according to the symptoms they encountered during their menstrual periods, the severity of these symptoms and their effects on their daily lives. A 4-point scale was used in this grouping.
0: none
1: light
2: medium
3: severe
Symptoms and Complaints1. Anger/irritability
2. Anxiety/anxiety/tension
3. Tearfulness/increased sensitivity to rejection
4. Pessimistic mood/hopelessness
5. Decreased interest in work-related activities
6. Decreased interest in home-related activities
7. Decreased interest in social activities
8. Difficulty concentrating
9. Exhaustion/lack of energy
10. Binge eating / overeating crises
11. Insomnia
12. Oversleeping (needing more sleep)
13. Feeling defeated or out of control
14. Physical symptoms
Effects on Daily LifeA. Increase your work efficiency or productivity
B. Your relationships with your colleagues
C. Your relationships with your family
D. Your social life
E. Your responsibilities at home
Requirements for PMS Detection• At least one of 1, 2, 3, 4 is moderate or severe
• At least 4 out of 1-14 are moderate or severe
• At least one of A, B, C, D, E must be moderate or severe
Before applying this test, the purpose of the research was explained to the participants and it was applied after obtaining ethics committee approval and participant permissions.
Statistical AnalysisThe data obtained in the study were evaluated in the SPSS statistical program and ANOVA analysis and Independent Two Sample T test methods were applied. Statistical significance is defined as p< 0.05.
Ethical ApprovalThis study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ministry of Health Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital (Date: 2009-09-18, No: 271).

Results

FindingsWhen the 150 women participating in the study were examined according to age distribution (Table 1).
Considering the distribution of the number of births, use of birth control pills, regular monthly menstruation and menstrual pain intensity of the women in the study group (Table 2). When the women in the study group were evaluated, the distribution of Premenstrual Symptoms was summarized (Table 3). 15% of women with PMS are between the ages of 18-22, 57% are between the ages of 21-32, and 28% are women aged 33 and over.
80% of women with PMS do not use birth control pills, 20% do.
53% of women with PMS have never given birth, 19% have had 1 birth, 20% have had 2 births, 5% have had 3 births and 3% have had 4 births or more.
11% of women with PMS have mild pain, and 89% have severe pain.

Discussion

Premenstrual syndrome is a psychological and organic disorder that affects the individual, family and society. Premenstrual syndrome is often seen in women of reproductive age.
In a study conducted by Demir B. et al. ³, the majority of women are in the 24-28 age group with 44.1%, and the least majority are in the 39 age group and over with 4.3%.
Among the women who participated in our study, the highest rate of relationship between premenstrual syndrome and age was in the 21-32 age group.
In their study by Demir B. et al. ³, the most common premenstrual symptoms were; It was determined as 72.4% back pain, 72.4% tension, 72.4% irritability-anger, 70.9% abdominal bloating, 66.9% breast tenderness, 58.3% breast swollenness, 50% fatigue.
In their study, Musal et al. ⁴ reported irritability (80.7%), boredom (68.2%), abdominal pain-cramps (67.6%), fatigue (65.3%) and abdominal swelling (63.0%). ) they reported as.
Kısa et al. ⁵ stated that the most common complaints in the premenstrual period are appetite changes, depressive mood, fatigue, irritability, bloating and pain, respectively.
Erbil et al. ⁶ reported in their studies that complaints of changes in appetite, irritability, and pain were more prominent.
Kebabcilar et al. ⁷ stated that the most common symptoms in this period were breast tenderness (52.6%), fatigue (48.2%), edema (46.8%) and low back pain (44.6%).
When we look at the most common symptoms in our study, 49% were moderate and 35% severe, anger/irritability, 45% were moderate and 32% were severe, fatigue/lack of energy, and 41% were moderate and 28% were severe. There is severe abdominal pain.
Studies conducted on women from different cultures have shown that social and cultural factors, activity status, and life stress play an important role in the formation of premenstrual symptoms ⁸.
The prevalence of premenstrual symptoms varies in different studies. It has been stated that this difference can be explained by the different scales used in the research and the different characteristics of the women in the study groups, such as age, profession, marital status, race.
It is seen that the age distribution of women is mostly between
21-32 years old ⁹. When we look at the distribution of the number of births of the women in the study group, the use of birth control pills, regular menstruation every month, and the pain intensity of menstrual bleeding, 47% of the women have never given birth. 22% of them had 2 births, 16% had 1 birth, 8% had 3 births, and 7% had 4 or more births.
It is seen that 79% of women do not use birth control pills, while 21% do. When the distribution of regular menstruation every month is examined, it is observed that 83% of women have regular menstruation every month, while the other 17% do not have regular menstruation every month.
There is a statistical difference (F=3.173, p=0.045<0.05) between the age group of the women in the study group and PMS. PMS status varies between women aged 21-32 and women aged 33 and over. 15% of women with PMS are between the ages of 18-22, 57% are between the ages of 21-32, and 28% are women aged 33 and over.
53% of women with PMS have never given birth, 19% have given birth once, 20% have given birth twice, 5% have given birth three times and 3% have given birth four times or more. 11% of women with PMS have no pain intensity, and 89% have severe pain.
There is a statistical difference between the premenstrual symptoms and PMS status of the women in the study group. However, PMS with symptoms of overeating (p=0.738>0.05), insomnia (p=0.872>0.05), excessive sleepiness (p=0.093>0.05) and headache (p=0.260>0.05) There is no statistical difference between them.
In conclusion, premenstrual syndrome and its symptoms are a condition that should be taken seriously. It can seriously affect women’s work, social relations and family life; If her parents are married, her husband, children and co-workers are affected by this situation. Premenstrual syndrome affects women’s quality of life. The rate of consulting a doctor can be increased with training on this subject. Thus, the incidence of premenstrual syndrome can be reduced and the quality of life of women can be increased.

Limitations

The limited sample size of the study restricts the extent to which the findings can be generalized to broader populations. Moreover, as the data were obtained via self-reported measures, the results may have been influenced by participants’ subjective perceptions and reporting biases.

Conclusion

Premenstrual syndrome is a common condition in the community. It should be noted that premenstrual syndrome is a treatable condition. If awareness is increased, the rate of referral to the doctor can be increased, thus reducing the incidence of premenstrual syndrome and increasing the living standards of women, thus preventing labor loss from premenstrual syndrome.

Declarations

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About This Article

Received:

May 1, 2024

Accepted:

December 24, 2024

Published Online:

June 23, 2025