Assessment of premenstrual syndrome among reproductive aged Myanmar women

Abstract

Background: Almost all women experience at least mild degree of one or more premenstrual symptoms during the days before menstruation. Women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) experience a pattern of severe premenstrual symptoms month after month and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is the extreme, predominantly psychological end of the PMS spectrum. These symptoms hinder some aspect of their family as well as social lives and also interfere their activities at work.Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of PMS among reproductive aged Myanmar women from medical field and to investigate the frequency and severity of symptoms experience by the women with PMS.Materials and Methods: All participants were asked to complete a questionnaire derived from Calendar of Premenstrual Experiences (COPE) for two consecutive menstrual cycle to diagnose PMS and PMDD. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 400 reproductive aged women (between 15 - 45 years) among the medical students, doctors and nurses.Results: Out of 400 subjects, 149 women (37.3%) met DSM-IV criteria for PMS and 251 women (62.7%) did not have PMS. Among PMS women, 81 women (54.4%) had PMDD. The most frequent PMS symptoms were poor concentration (88.6%), irritability (87.3%), ache and pain (81.9%), increased appetite (79.2%) and breast swelling (75.8%). The most frequent symptom in mild and moderate PMS is physical symptom (ache and pain) and that in PMDD was psychological symptom (poor concentration).Conclusion: The prevalence of PMS with high PMDD proportion was found in reproductive aged Myanmar women from medical field.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.7(4) 2016 39-43

Prevalence and clinical picture of premenstrual syndrome in females from Bulgaria

“…This is entirely comparable to our data, namely 32.1%. Our results on the prevalence of PMDD-3.3%, are also similar to previous reports in the literature-3-8% [8,9,12,19,20], although much higher rates have also been reported [6].…”

“…For example, a Saudi Arabian team of researchers used a questionnaire based on the definition of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and found PMS in 35.6% of the sample, from which 22.4% severe [24]. When DSM-IV is used, the prevalence of PMS varies from 1.2% in a Japanese community sample to 17.9% among Brazilian students [21,25], 29% in Ukraine [5], and 37.3% in Myanmar [6]. We also use the DSM-IV definition and our results are comparable to those from Ukraine.…”

“…Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is broadly defined as a cluster of emotional, physical, and behavioural symptoms that arise around the end of the luteal phase and dissipate with the beginning of menstruation or briefly thereafter [1]. According to different investigations on the prevalence of PMS, its frequency varies considerably depending on the methodology and assessment instruments used [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9].…”

Assessment of premenstrual syndrome among female students in Southeast Nigeria

“…The COPE is another valid and reliable tool for diagnosis of PMS [22][23][24]. It is a single sheet calendar diary consisting of 21 premenstrual symptoms to assess psychological, physical, and behavioral factors for each day of the menstrual cycle [21].…”

“…The COPE scoring for each symptom is a 3-point rating scale: absent = 0, present = 1, severe (enough to distort daily routine in various aspects) = 2. The COPE is one of the most acceptable prospective records for clinical and research investigations of PMS [24].…”