Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) among high school students

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common health problem among adolescents.

To assess the prevalence of PMS in Thai high school students.

This was a prospective study conducted among menstruating high school students in Khon Kaen, Thailand, from September to December, 2015. Participants were asked to prospectively complete an anonymous questionnaire, which included information about demographic data, menstrual patterns, and symptoms to be recorded on a daily calendar of premenstrual experiences according to the diagnostic criteria proposed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. All of the data were prospectively recorded for 90 consecutive days.

Of the 399 participants, 289 (72.4%) completed the self-report questionnaire. Eighty-six participants (29.8%; 95% CI, 24.5%-35.4%) reported having PMS. The most common somatic and affective symptoms among participants with PMS were breast tenderness (74.4%) and angry outbursts (97.7%). There were significant differences between the PMS and non-PMS groups, and PMS was associated with various problems related to educational activities, including lack of concentration and motivation, poor individual work performance, poor collaborative work performance, and low scores. However, there were no significant differences regarding interpersonal relationships between the PMS and non-PMS groups.

PMS is a common menstrual disorder among Thai high school students. The most common symptoms reported in this study were angry outbursts and breast tenderness.