Relationship between Menstrual Stress Levels and Menstrual Cycle in Medical Students

Abstract

Menstruation is a physiological change in a woman's body that is affected by reproductive hormones that occur periodically. The menstrual cycle is the time from the first day of menstruation until the arrival of the next period of menstruation. The average menstrual cycle lasts for 21-35 days. Stress is a disorder of the body and mind caused by changes and life demands. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a condition accompanied by emotional and physical problems related to the menstrual cycle. This study aims to determine the correlation of stress levels during menstruation with the menstrual cycle in medical students. This study uses a type of cross-sectional research. The data was obtained using questionnaires. The study used 99 respondents who met inclusion criteria. The results showed that out of 99 respondents there were 79 respondents (79.8%) had a regular menstrual cycle, seven respondents (7.1%) had an abnormal menstrual cycle, there were 28 respondents (28.3%) had normal stress levels during menstruation. Twenty-one respondents (21.2%) had mild stress levels during menstruation, 21 respondents (21.2%) had moderate stress levels during menstruation, and 16 respondents (16.2%) had severe stress levels during menstruation, 13 respondents (13.1%) had stress levels are very heavy during menstruation. Based on the Spearman Rank test, there is a negative correlation with the moderate level of relationship between stress levels during menstruation and the length of the menstrual cycle.
 Keywords: Menstruation, Menstrual Cycle, Stress, Stress Level.