Absenteeism during Menstruation among Nursing Students in Spain

Abstract

Absenteeism can clearly have a negative impact on academic performance among university students. Certain experiences or symptoms such as menstrual pain are very common in women and can lead to absenteeism. The current study was aimed at examining the presence of menstrual experiences or symptoms and their impact upon absenteeism among healthy (illness-free) female university nursing students in Spain. A total of 299 students participated in this research, which was a descriptive cross-sectional, observational study. An ad hoc online questionnaire was used based on sociodemographic and gynecological data, together with the noted menstrual experiences; the most prevalent of which were bloating, which affected 87.3% of students; dysmenorrhea and irritability, which affected 76.3%; and fatigue, which affected 70.6%. Students with dysmenorrhea had a 6.95 higher (odds ratio (OR) 6.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.39–14.25) odds of absenteeism; in those who reported dizziness, the odds of absenteeism was 4.82 times higher (OR 4.82; 1.76–13.23); in those who manifested nausea and vomiting, the percentage of absenteeism was 3.51 higher (OR 3.51; 95% CI 1.51–8.15); in those who presented sleep alterations, the odds were 2.95 higher (OR 2.95; 95% CI 1.39–6.25); and for those who felt depressed the odds were 2.18 times higher (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.21–3.94) Absenteeism was found to be more likely in women with dysmenorrhea. However, in addition, higher odds of absenteeism were also found in women with nausea and vomiting, dizziness, sleep disorders, and those who feel depressed. These menstrual experiences can be considered a relevant problem among young women, leading to absenteeism, and a negative influence on academic performance. It is essential to raise awareness of the socioeconomic impact of absenteeism and establish new strategies for improving menstrual experiences.

Interference and Impact of Dysmenorrhea on the Life of Spanish Nursing Students

“…Up to 62.8% of participants reported absenteeism due to menstrual pain, similar to the 60.5% reported by nursing students at other Spanish universities [ 2 ] but far higher than the 20.1% found in the meta-analysis published in 2019 [ 1 ]. This difference is striking and may be due to the fact that the meta-analysis included studies with non-homogeneous sample populations, including secondary school students and university students of various disciplines.…”

“…Ultimately, 16 women agreed to participate in the project, however three did not complete it in full. Taking into consideration the absenteeism variable (dichotomous: yes/no) as the main variable concerning the repercussions of dysmenorrhea in the life of university women for this study and the calculation of its proportion based on the previous literature [ 2 ], retrospective calculations revealed that the power of the contrast was 0.97.…”

“…On a dichotomous level (yes/no), students were asked whether they felt that their concentration in class dropped and whether the pain forced them to have to interrupt their activities and sit down. They also asked about the number of days of presenteeism and absenteeism due to menstrual pain during the last year [ 2 ]. In relation to perceived quality of life, the Spanish version of the vertical visual analog scale (VAS) of Euroqol 5D was used [ 19 ], ranging from 0 (worst imaginable health status) to 100 (best imaginable health status) to collect information on self-perceived health status, similar to previous studies analyzing this variable among women with dysmenorrhea [ 8 , 20 , 21 ].…”

“…Dysmenorrhea or menstrual pain is a women’s health issue which affects a large percentage of women of university age [ 1 ]. Pain is commonly located in the pelvic region or lower abdomen and is generally chronic and recurrent, coinciding with menstruation, and can often be accompanied by other symptoms, the most frequent being irritability, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and dizziness [ 2 ]. There are two types of dysmenorrhea: primary and secondary.…”

“…However, there are a limited number of studies which analyze the academic repercussions of dysmenorrhea among nursing students [ 1 ]. Only one study of Spanish women has been identified and, although it did address this issue, this was not its primary focus as it merely reported the rates of absenteeism related to this condition [ 2 ]. In other countries, a number of studies have analyzed the impact of menstrual pain on absenteeism and/or academic performance, however there is a notable lack of studies on the phenomenon of presenteeism, understood as the practice of attending classes or clinical placements when suffering from severe menstrual pain [ 14 , 15 ], in spite of the fact that evidence shows an increased risk of medication errors, patient falls, and a reduced quality of patient care.…”