Dysmenorrhea among Nursing Staff in a Tertiary Care Center: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Menstrual disorders are problems faced by women in their reproductive period, which affects their day-to-day activities and the quality of life and sometimes can be an indicator of serious pathology. There are various types of menstrual disorders with dysmenorrhea being the commonest and most distressing. Health, sense of wellbeing and quality of life can be improved because of early detection and treatment for these disorders. The study aimed to find out the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among the nursing staff of a tertiary care center.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from September 2020 to November 2020 among the nursing staff of a tertiary care hospital. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional review committee of Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital (reference number: 1709202003). A convenient sampling technique was used. A pre-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The subjects were asked to fill the questionnaire anonymously after taking consent. Statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentage for binary data.

Out of 212 participants, 165 (77.8%) (95% Confidence Interval = 72.21-83.39) participants reported pain during menstruation. Of which, 61 (36.97%) participants reported abdominal pain.

The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was high among the nursing staff of a tertiary care centre which was similar to the findings of other studies done in similar settings.