Premenstrual tension among nurses in Nairobi, Kenya

A sample of 400 nurses at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi were interviewed by means of investigator-administered questionnaire to determine the prevalence and some other aspects of premenstrual tension (PMT) amongst them. Premenstrual tension (PMT) syndrome was found in 95.5% of the study group, with mastalgia being the commonest symptom (79.0%) followed by abdominal bloating (75.0%). Some features such as suicidal tendencies, inability to cope, insomnia were found to be rare among them. There was no correlation between age, marital status, parity, or dysmenorrhoea and premenstrual tension. Almost all the nurses with PMT, did not consider it an illness, rather as normal part of their femininity. As a result only 6.5% of them had changed their activities during this period, and only 3.1% had used medication for it. It is concluded that premenstrual tension is prevalent among women in Kenya, and that because of their attitude towards it, the condition does not appear to be associated with any serious morbidity.