A longitudinal study of risk factors for the occurrence, duration and severity of menstrual cramps in a cohort of college women

Abstract

Objective To describe how menstrual cramps vary from cycle to cycle within a woman over time. To examine the influence of weight and lifestyle factors on occurrence, duration, and severity of menstrual pain. Design A one‐year prospective menstrual diary study. Participants One hundred and sixty‐five women aged 17 to 19 years entering a local university in 1985. Main outcome measures The occurrence, length, and maximum severity of pain during a menstrual period. Results Menstrual pain occurred during 71.6% of observed menstrual bleeds, most commonly beginning the first day of menses. The median duration was two days. Sixty percent of women reported at least one episode of severe pain, while 13% reported severe pain more than half the time. Earlier age at menarche and long menstrual periods increased the occurrence, duration and severity of pain. In smokers, cramps tended to last longer. Being overweight was an important risk factor for menstrual cramps and doubled the odds of having a long pain episode. Frequent alcohol consumption decreased the probability of having menstrual cramps, but in women who had pain it increased duration and severity. Physical activity was not associated with any pain parameter. Conclusions Women who have pain lasting three days are an important target group for prophylactic therapy. The occurrence and severity of menstrual cramps is influenced by potentially modifiable characteristics including weight, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Doctors may wish to counsel women presenting with dysmenorrhoea about the importance of healthy lifestyles and about the inefficacy of alcohol consumption as a treatment for dysmenorrhoea.

Associations of menstrual pain with intakes of soy, fat and dietary fiber in Japanese women

“…It is also possible that a limited range of soy intake as well as fat intake among the study subjects may have obscured a real association. Additional findings on smoking and age at Diet and menstrual pain C Nagata et al menarche in relation to menstrual pain were consistent with previous results from other studies (Klein & Litt, 1981;Sundell et al, 1990;Parazzini et al, 1994;Harlow & Park, 1996;Hornsby et al, 1998). So far, to our knowledge, five studies have assessed the relationship between diet and menstrual pain (Deutch, 1995;Harel et al, 1996;Di Cintio et al, 1997;Balbi et al, 2000;Barnard et al, 2000).…”

Women's reproductive health: the role of body mass index in early and adult life

“…Amenorrhea has been shown to be associated with underweight 38 and one recent study that recorded details of duration and severity of menstrual pain in a twelve-month diary found increased risks for overweight women. 39 This speci®c ®nding relating to menstrual pain supports observations from the present study for nonspeci®c menstrual problems. Evidence is lacking for other menstrual disorders.…”

A narrative review of medical, chiropractic, and alternative health practices in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea

“…Menses that begin between 11 and 12 years of age correlate to an increase incidence and severity of dysmenorrhea. 56 Factors influencing early menarche are the potential root of the cause in predisposing females to primary dysmenorrhea. An early gynecological age can be associated with the size of the infant female child.…”