Self-reports of menstrual and nonmenstrual symptomatology in university-employed women

To describe the pattern of menstrual and nonmenstrual symptomatology and to clarify the number, kind, and severity of symptoms that women report in relation to the menstrual cycle, a study of university-employed women was conducted. A cross-sectional correlational approach to survey data was used. The sample consisted of 633 generally healthy women aged 21 to 44 years. Results indicated that a wide range of variability in terms of the number of symptoms reported and the mean severity level was experienced. Additionally, a variety of different types of symptoms (somatic, affective, concentration, and behavioral) were reported.