Abstract:
Objective To investigate concomitant symptoms of premenstrual syndrome among Chinese reproductive women and to provide evidences for improving health care in premenstrual and menstrual period among the population.
Methods We conducted an online survey among 24 670 women using a self-designed questionnaire which was dispatched on the homepage of a mobile application named Menstruation from January to December 2015. The questionnaire refers to general demography characteristics and concomitant symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
Results With the increment of age, the percentage of the participants reporting illness symptoms (constipation, acne, fever, diarrhea, breast distending pain, body aching pain, poor appetite, headache, abdominal bulge, and dizziness) during premenstrual and menstrual period decreased significantly (P < 0.01 for all). The participants with low body mass index (BMI) reported significantly higher occurrence rates of acne, fever, diarrhea, breast distending pain, body aching pain, poor appetite, headache, and dizziness (P < 0.05 for all). Compared to the participants not having sexual activity, those having sexual activity reported significantly lower occurrence rate of acne (11.95% vs. 12.95%, P < 0.05) but higher occurrence rates of breast distending pain (15.37% vs. 12.26%), body aching pain (17.83% vs. 16.48%), and dizziness (12.60% vs. 11.44%) (P < 0.05 for all). In comparison with the participants without delivery history, the participants with delivery history reported significantly lower occurrence rates of acne (10.17% vs. 13.30%), fever (5.79% vs. 8.15%), diarrhea (7.57% vs. 10.70%), body aching pain (16.83% vs. 18.12%), poor appetite (13.52% vs. 14.72%), and abdominal bulge (14.97% vs. 19.16%) (all P < 0.05). Significantly higher occurrence rates of constipation (11.45% vs. 7.94%), acne (13.18% vs. 9.02%), fever (8.25% vs. 5.27%), diarrhea (10.96% vs. 6.59%), breast distending pain (15.89% vs. 10.63%), body aching pain (19.08% vs. 12.51%), poor appetite (15.95% vs. 10.47% ), headache (14.77% vs. 10.03%), abdominal bulge (19.85% vs. 12.17%), and dizziness (13.39% vs. 8.94%)were reported by the participants with dysmenorrhea than by the participants without dysmenorrhea (P < 0.01 for all).
Conclusion Concomitant symptoms in premenstrual and menstrual period associate with age, body mass index, sexual activity, fertility, menstruation regularity, and dysmenorrhea among Chinese reproductive women.