Lifestyle Factors Related to Dysmenorrhea Among High School Students

Background: Menstrual disorders or dysmenorrhea are common health problems in women. Presumably, lifestyle factors could be associated with this condition. This study aimed to evaluate dysmenorrhea and its related lifestyle factors in the high school students of Urmia City, Iran. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 1475 students of all girls’ high schools were recruited by stratified sampling from urban areas of Urmia City, Iran in 2016. The relevant data were gathered by a researcher-made questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to assess women’s dysmenorrhea in the last 3 menstrual cycles. Then the obtained data were analyzed by ANOVA, Chi-square, Pearson’s contingency coefficient, and Gamma in SPSS-PC V. 23. Results: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 93.7% among study participants. Significant and direct relationships were observed between dysmenorrhea and lifestyle (diet [P<0.001], exercise (P<0.001), and sleep status (P<0.001]), except for the number of family members and duration of menstrual cycle. In addition, there was significant and negative correlation between dysmenorrhea and demographic factors (BMI [P<0.001], age [P<0.001], birth order [P<0.001]). Conclusion: Dysmenorrhea is highly prevalent and may be related to lifestyle factors among high school students. High school teachers should be aware of these facts, and proper information about lifestyle should be provided for girls suffering from dysmenorrhea symptoms.