Menstruation: Level of awareness on premenstrutation and the prevalence of menstrual syndromes among college going women athletes and non-athletes

Abstract

This study assesses the level of awareness of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and the prevalence of menstrual syndromes in college going women athletes and non athletes. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the respondents socio-economic and physical activity profile, details of their menstrual cycle and awareness on PMS. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) was incorporated in this to understand prevalence of menstrual syndrome across the different phases of menstruation. Forty two students in pre university from BMS College for Women, Bangalore, aged between 15-17 years were selected of which 30 were athletes and 12 were non-athletes. The results showed that none of the students except for one was aware about PMS, yet prevalence results showed that students had reported symptoms during all three phases of menstrual cycle. However, comparing results among athletes and non-athletes, it was seen that there was not much of a difference in symptoms reported during the Premenstrual and Intermenstrual phases, where as there was a prominent difference in Pain and Control reported during Menstrual phase. The study highlights the need to increase the awareness among students about menstruation and it also shows the importance of including physical activity in daily routine for a healthy lifestyle.