A Descriptive Study of the Prevalence of Dysmenorrhea in University Students and Its Relationship with Quality of Life

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and its relationship with quality of life in university students.

Methods: The study was conducted with females in University, Faculty of Health Sciences. 395 students were included. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for evaluate menstrual pain, and the short form health survey (SF-36) was used for assess quality of life.

Results: It was determined that 82% of the student’s experienced dysmenorrhea. The pain intensity level of the students with dysmenorrhea was found to be moderate in 40.1%, and severe in 34.9%. It was determined that 61.3% of the students with dysmenorrhea used painkillers to control dysmenorrhea, 88.3% used different non-pharmacological methods and 28.7% consulted a doctor due to dysmenorrhea. Students reported that dysmenorrhea affected their daily activities (74.8%), school attendance (66.7%), school or course performance and success (78.4%), concentration (93.2%) and interpersonal relationships (84.9%) negatively. All domain average scores of the SF-36 of participants with dysmenorrhea were significantly lower than those without dysmenorrhea (p<0.05).

Discussion: The prevalence and the severity of dysmenorrhea were found to be high in university students, and it was determined that dysmenorrhea caused the students' quality of life to decrease.

Key Words: Menstrual pain, quality of life, women's health