Absenteeism during Menstruation among Nursing Students in Spain

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Nursing Education
• Women's Health

Background:

• Student absenteeism negatively affects academic performance.
• Menstrual symptoms are common among women and can lead to absence from university.
• Understanding the link between menstrual experiences and absenteeism in nursing students is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of menstrual symptoms in female nursing students in Spain.
• To determine the impact of these symptoms on student absenteeism.
• To highlight the relationship between specific menstrual experiences and increased odds of absenteeism.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted.
• 299 healthy female university nursing students in Spain participated.
• An online questionnaire collected sociodemographic, gynecological, and menstrual experience data.

Main Results:

• The most common symptoms were bloating (87.3%), dysmenorrhea (76.3%), irritability (76.3%), and fatigue (70.6%).
• Dysmenorrhea significantly increased absenteeism odds (OR 6.95).
• Other symptoms like dizziness (OR 4.82), nausea/vomiting (OR 3.51), sleep alterations (OR 2.95), and depression (OR 2.18) also raised absenteeism odds.

Conclusions:

• Menstrual symptoms, particularly dysmenorrhea, are strongly associated with increased absenteeism in female nursing students.
• Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sleep disturbances, and depression further contribute to higher absenteeism rates.
• Recognizing the impact of menstrual experiences on academic attendance is essential for developing supportive strategies and addressing the socioeconomic consequences of absenteeism.