Authors: Karel Hoppenbrouwers Mathieu Roelants Christel Meuleman Anna Rijkers Karla Van Leeuwen Annemie Desoete Thomas D’Hooghe
Publish Date: 2015/12/15
Volume: 175, Issue: 5, Pages: 623-630
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of symptoms related to the menstrual cycle and their impact on social activities in young teenage girls Between March and June 2009 all girls born in 1996 who were residents of eight regions in Flanders Belgium received a semistructured questionnaire including questions about the age of menarche characteristics of the menstrual cycle and its impact on social activities Participants were 792 13yearold girls 157 of the target population Out of 363 472 of participants postmenarcheal girls 416 95 confidence interval CI 364–470 reported painful menstruations The proportion of girls with painful menstrual periods decreased approximately 16 with each year the age at menarche increased relative risk RR = 084 073–098 p 005 and was positively correlated with the amount of blood loss RR = 033 016–067 p 005 when little and 185 149–231 p 0001 when abundant compared to average One in four 254 postmenarcheal girls indicated a negative impact of menstruation on social activities but this proportion was significantly higher in girls who experienced menstruation as painful 413 compared to those who did not 142 • In this large populationbased study on the characteristics of the menstrual cycle in young teenage girls at or shortly after menarche painful menstruation was highly prevalent 417 but related school absenteeism was low 32 The likelihood of pain increased significantly with lower menarcheal age
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