The relationship between menstrual attitudes and menstrual symptoms among Taiwanese women.

AIM OF THE STUDY This study explored characteristics of the menstrual cycle including duration, prevalence and severity of symptoms and examined the relationship of these characteristics with attitudes toward menstruation. BACKGROUND Conceptualization of menstrual phenomena and attitudes toward menstruation may vary among cultures. While data about menstrual health among American women are widely available, there are little data concerning menstrual health in Taiwanese women. DESIGN/METHODS A total of 30 healthy women with a mean age of 24.4 years participated in the study and made daily records of symptoms over a 90-day period with the Woods Daily Health Diary (WDHD). They then retrospectively completed the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MMDQ) and the Menstrual Attitudes Questionnaire (MAQ). RESULTS The mean age of menarche of these women was 13 years, their mean cycle duration was 5.8 days and the cycle length was 31.1 days. The mean scores of five subscales for MAQ ranged from 2.19 to 3.28. Forty-six percent of the surveyed Taiwanese women agreed that the onset of menstruation can be predicted and anticipated, and 78% of these women agreed that menstruation was a natural event. CONCLUSIONS Menstrual attitudes in Taiwanese women are multidimensional, and that significant cross-cultural differences are present. Attitudes toward menstruation in Taiwanese women are related to their physical, cognitive, behavioural and psychological changes in the premenstrual and menstrual phases.