The Epidemiology of Premenstrual Syndrome and Sports Injuries Among National-Level Adolescent Female Badminton...

Background: Physical activity is widely acknowledged as an effective intervention for alleviating premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms. However, the optimal exercise dosage that provides symptom relief without increasing the risk of sports-related injuries remains unclear, particularly in adolescent females. Objectives: This study investigates the epidemiology of PMS and sports injuries among national-level adolescent female badminton athletes to inform training practices that balance symptom relief and injury prevention. Methods: A total of 63 national-level adolescent female badminton players aged 13-18 completed questionnaires assessing medical history related to badminton, premenstrual symptoms (PSQ), and menstrual health. All participants were adolescent females who had experienced menarche. Data were analyzed to identify associations between training parameters, PMS symptoms, and injury prevalence. Results: The analysis showed that 13.8% of female badminton athletes experienced knee and lumbar injury associated with badminton participation. The peak incidence of knee injuries occurred at the age of 15, whereas the age of 17 was a peak period for lumbar injuries. A total of 47 (74.6%) athletes experienced at least one premenstrual symptom. The most common symptoms were anger/irritability and anxiety/tension. The players with premenstrual syndrome showed significantly increased menses time (OR: 1.16, p < 0.05), menstrual days in the past 12 months (OR: 4.06, p < 0.05), and badminton experience period compared with those without (OR: 1.441, p < 0.05). Conclusions: PMS symptoms and sports-related injuries are prevalent among national-level adolescent female badminton athletes. Longer participation history in badminton was associated with a higher prevalence of PMS symptoms. These findings underscore the importance of considering menstrual health alongside injury prevention in the training and health management of adolescent female athletes. Further studies using objective training exposure and clinical assessments are warranted.