Does premenstrual syndrome affect physical activity and quality of life? A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the presence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), physical activity, and quality of life in female university students. Methods: The study was designed as a prospective and cross-sectional study. Female students aged 18-23 studying at university were included. Demographic information, physical characteristics, and information on menstrual period were recorded by a self-reported questionnaire. The menstrual symptoms, physical activity, and quality of life were evaluated by the Premenstrual Syndrome Rating Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF)” and Short Form-12 (SF-12), respectively. The data were analyzed at p<0.05 significance level. Independent samples t-test and chi-square tests were used to determine the statistical difference between groups with and without PMS. Results: 153 randomly selected female students (18-23 years old) (89 with PMS, 64 without PMS) participated in this study. Menstrual duration and pain intensity during menstruation were found to be significantly higher in students with PMS and the presence of menstrual irregularity was found to be significantly higher in students with PMS (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the level of physical activity between the students with and without PMS. It was found that the quality of life of students with PMS was significantly lower (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was found that PMS reduced the quality of life, but there was no difference in the level of physical activity between the students with and without PMS. It is thought that further studies are needed to determine the physical activity level during the menstrual cycle.