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Premenstrual Discomforts and Coping in University Students
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Hye Young Ahn, Hye Jin Hyun, Hae Won Kim
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J Korean Acad Community Health Nurs. 2005;16(3):289-299. Published online September 30, 2005
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 Abstract
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- PURPOSE
This study was carried out to identify premenstrual discomforts and coping patterns and their effects.
METHOD
The participants of this study were 297 female university students in C area. The Menstrual Discomfort Questionaire (MDQ) and coping method lists were used as measurement tools.
RESULTS
There were significant differences premenstrual discomforts according to age (F=5.76, p=.003) and according to health condition (F=3.43, p=.034). The mean scores of the sub-categorical factors of premenstrual discomfort were 2.35 points for pain, 2.29 for instability and 2.25 for water retention. The worst symptoms among the subcategories of premenstrual discomfort were as follows: backache (M=2.68) in the pain subcategory, irritability (M=2.53) in the instability subcategory and swelling(M=2.40) in the water retention subcategory. Their common coping patterns were "coping according to menstrual period", "active behavioral coping" and "evasional coping". Frequently used coping methods were "taking a rest and sleep (99.3%)" and "taking a warm shower (86.2%)". Effective coping methods were "taking a rest and sleep (89.5%)" and "taking a warm shower (87.1%)".
CONCLUSION
Most participants have their own coping pattern. Some methods were very effective to PMS but some were not effective to PMS. To manage PMS, effective coping methods should be encouraged for female university students. To keep up with effective coping, education and counseling should be continued. It is considered necessary to make the same research with a larger number of samples and more specified assessment.
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An Exploratory Study on the Perimenstrual Discomforts and Dietary Intake Level of Normal Women
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Hae Won Kim
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J Korean Acad Community Health Nurs. 2004;15(3):483-495. Published online September 30, 2004
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Abstract
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- PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to explore the perimenstrual discomforts and dietary intake levels among normal women.
METHOD
A prospective and descriptive study examined 38 women aged 23-46years of age. The data collection period lasted from April 1 to June 30, 2003. The participants were asked to keep a diary recording perimenstrual symptoms and food intake for 50 days.
RESULTS
There was a significant difference in physical symptoms of perimenstrual discomforts (F=6.95, p=.001), but there was no significant difference in dietary intake level according to three different phases of a menstrual cycle. The significant dietary intake variables correlated to PMS included energy, protein, Vitamin E, Vitamin B2, niacin, Vitamin B6, folic acid, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. They were negatively related to perimenstrual discomforts.
CONCLUSION
Balanced diet intake will be necessary for not only the perimenstrual discomforts but also the general health promotion of the entire population. The dietary and nutritional assessment should be done prior to nursing interventions, and nutritional counseling and education should be given based on individual differences. In a further study, the effects of dietary composition on specific symptoms will be replicated with a large sample, and development of a diet intervention program for perimenstrual discomforts is recommended.
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KACHN
