Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome among the females in reproductive age group

Abstract

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common disorder among women in reproductive age group. It is present with specific uncomfortable and unusual symptoms that clearly begin after ovulation and generally ends with the onset of menstruation. This disorder is particularly common in young age groups and therefore represents a significant public health problem in young women. The present study was conducted with an aim to assess the prevalence of Premenstrual syndrome among the females in reproductive age group. A descriptive survey design was used for conducting the study. By using the purposive sampling technique, 133 females in reproductive age group, studying at selected college of nursing, were chosen as a sample for the study. Data were collected personally by the researcher by using a structured questionnaire and a rating scale. The results of the study showed that, majority of the females were in 19-20 years of age (i.e., 60.15%), attained menarche between 13-14 years of age (i.e., 48.12%), with regular menstrual cycles (i.e., 79.70%), and had a family history of PMS (i.e., 63.16%). On the whole, females in the reproductive age group had mild to moderate degree of symptoms in all the three domains (i.e., physiological symptoms, behavioural symptoms and psychological symptoms). The overall mean score of PMS symptoms among the Females in Reproductive Age Group was 99.62 with a standard deviation of 27.31. No significant association was found between the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and the selected variables at 0.05 level of significance. The study concluded that the prevalence of PMS among females in reproductive age group ranged between mild to moderate level.