Prevalence of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Among Adolescent Girls

Statement of the problem: A study to assess the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) among adolescent girls in selected college, Thrissur, with a view to prepare an information pamphlet. Research approach and tool: A non experimental descriptive survey design was used in this study as research approach and tool adopted for this study was a modified standardized premenstrual syndrome scale. Sampling technique: Cluster sampling technique was adopted for this study. Findings: The results showed that, out of 60 samples, 10% has PMS, 75% were having mild PMS, 15% were having moderate PMS and no one is experiencing severe PMS. According to the ranking of the common symptoms associated with PMS are, 73% were experiencing back ache, 65% were having tiredness and 60% were having irritability. In addition, 48% having tension, 42% having mood swings and 22% suffering from muscle stiffness before the appearance of menstruation. About the other symptoms, 20% had sleeping problems and finally 18% having dizziness, painful breast, feeling of suffocation and nausea or vomiting. Conclusion: In conclusion, the incidence of PMS is increasing rapidly among girls due to various factors and lifestyle changes.