Prospective assessment of menstrual and premenstrual experiences of Icelandic women

In the only Icelandic study on premenstrual symptoms, a retrospective one conducted in 1991, investigators found 30% of the sample to have severe premenstrual changes. In light of critique that retrospective data primarily reflect socioculturally held beliefs about menstruation, the present study was undertaken in order to assess prospectively Icelandic women's premenstrual and menstrual symptoms and experiences. A total of 211 menstrual cycles were recorded by 83 women using a daily health diary. A symptom pattern was defined for each woman. A small majority of the women (51.8%) displayed a low symptom pattern. Two women (2.4%) demonstrated a premenstrual syndrome pattern, and 5 women (6.0%) exhibited a premenstrual magnification pattern. The remaining women displayed mixed symptom patterns indicating wide variability in women's experiences. These findings differ from the Icelandic retrospective study and from a USA study using prospective data. Therefore, it is concluded that menstrual socialization influences symptoms expectation and reporting.