The relationship between the severity of perimenstrual symptoms and a regular exercise habit in Japanese young women: a cross-sectional online survey

Menstruation-related symptoms are associated with physical activity and midpoint of sleep: a pilot study

Introduction

Menstruation-related symptoms (MRSs) significantly impact women's health and contribute to economic burdens worldwide. Current interventions, primarily pharmacological ones, have limitations and side effects that underscore the need for alternative management strategies. This study explores the association between MRSs and lifestyle factors, specifically physical activity and sleep timing across menstrual cycle phases, to inform non-pharmacological intervention development.

Methods

Fourteen female students from Ritsumeikan University, Japan, with regular menstrual cycles (25-38 days), not on hormonal treatment or engaged in shift work, participated in this observational study. Using a Fitbit Inspire 2, total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and sleep timing were monitored over a complete cycle. Menstrual cycle phases were defined based on ovulation day, predicted using home luteinizing hormone tests. Participants completed daily electronic questionnaires rating MRSs using a modified menstrual distress questionnaire. Data were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model with a gamma distribution and logarithmic link function, examining the relationship of TDEE and the midpoint of sleep time (MS time) with MRS severity.

Results and discussion

The following observations were noted: first, MRS severity, except for behavioral change symptoms, significantly increased during the menstrual and luteal phases compared to the follicular phase. Second, delayed MS time was associated with reduced pain, concentration symptoms, water retention, and negative affect during the menstrual phase and reduced negative affect during the luteal phase. Finally, an increase in TDEE was associated with reduced concentration symptoms, autonomic reaction symptoms, and negative affect during the menstrual and luteal phases and reduced water retention only during the luteal phase. This study provides insights into the relationship between MRSs and TDEE/MS time, suggesting potential non-therapeutic approaches for symptom management, though further research is needed to substantiate these findings for practical applications.

Lactobacillus paragasseri OLL2809 Improves Premenstrual Psychological Symptoms in Healthy Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Lactobacillus paragasseri OLL2809 has been shown to ameliorate stress. This study employed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group design to assess the efficacy of continuous ingestion of OLL2809 for managing menstrual symptoms in healthy women. Eighty healthy adult women aged 25-40 years who experienced premenstrual and menstrual symptoms were randomly assigned to either the OLL2809 or placebo group (n = 40 each) and ingested tablets containing OLL2809 or placebo for three menstrual cycles. The OLL2809 group exhibited a significantly greater change in premenstrual 'arousal' scores on the menstrual distress questionnaire compared to the placebo group after the three menstrual cycles. Specifically, changes in the 'activity' subfactor were significantly higher in the OLL2809 group than in the placebo group. Additionally, the OLL2809 group reported significantly lower premenstrual irritability on the visual analog scale than the placebo group. These results suggest that OLL2809 may contribute to enhancing the quality of life of women.

The Changes in Menstrual and Menstrual-Related Symptoms among Japanese Female University Students: A Prospective Cohort Study from Three Months to Nine Months after Admission

Menstrual and menstrual-related symptoms can significantly impact an individual's physical and psychological health. Understanding how these symptoms evolve over time is crucial to provide appropriate support and healthcare services to young women. This study aimed to investigate changes in menstrual and menstrual-related symptoms among first-year female university students. A prospective longitudinal design was used to compare the symptom profiles between two time points (three and nine months after admission). Out of 100 female university students, 30 responses were analyzed. Data on menstrual and menstrual-related symptoms were collected using standardized questionnaires focusing on menstrual status and the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ); no notable changes occurred between the time points. Approximately half reported having irregular menstruation during the three time periods. Among the sub-scales, premenstrual "impaired concentration" showed a tendency to be lower, whereas menstrual "water retention" tended to be higher in timepoint 2 compared to timepoint 1. "Distractible" was found to be significantly lower in timepoint 2 compared to timepoint 1. There was a significant association between a sleep duration of <7 h and worsened MDQ scores. These findings may underscore the importance of providing comprehensive lifestyle and menstrual education to new university students, along with access to appropriate medical care.

The relationship between physical activity and premenstrual syndrome in senior high school students: a prospective study

Reproductive-aged women experience somatic and affective symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) which affect their daily life and work, but there are limited tracking data on senior high school-age female students. To investigate the characteristics and incidence of PMS, and to detect the relationship between physical exercise participation and PMS in female students of senior high school. A prospective study was conducted among senior high school female students aged 14-16 years. The participant was asked to finish two questionnaires. One questionnaire collected information about demographic data and PMS symptoms which were recorded on a daily calendar named Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) per day. Another questionnaire was physical exercises participation questionnaire, collecting times of physical education (PE) class participation, exercise times, exercise type participation in morning exercise and recess exercise, times of morning exercise, times of recess exercise per week, recess exercise time, and autonomous exercise participation of students. The data were prospectively recorded for three consecutive months. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was performed for results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis model. A total of 233 participants completed the prospective study, 78 (33.5%) participants experienced PMS. The incidence of the participants with mild PMS was 20.2% while moderate PMS was 11.6% and severe PMS was 1.7%. The most common somatic symptom was fatigue while the most common affective symptom was cannot concentrate. Participants with PE classes less than 2 times per week were 4.43 times (OR 4.43, 95% CI 1.18-16.6, p < 0.05) more possible to experience PMS than those with 2 times PE classes per week. PMS is a frequent phenomenon in senior high school female students. Female students with 2 times PE classes per week show a lower incidence of PMS. This study encouraged senior high school-age females to take more physical exercises per week and could be helpful to create a no-pharmacology coping strategy.

Investigation of coping behaviors and premenstrual syndrome among university students

This study aims to examine premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in university students and their coping behaviors. 452 female students were included in this descriptive and correlational study. The data were collected using a descriptive information form, the Premenstrual Syndrome Scale (PMSS), and the Premenstrual Change Coping Inventory (PMS-Cope). PMS symptoms were found in 80.5% of students. Seeking positive affect-inducing activities to cope with PMS was found to be a significant predictor of reducing the severity of PMS (β =-0.265, p < .001). In coping with PMS, it is necessary to consider the perceptions of taking medication, seeking social support, or seeking positive affect-inducing activities as a coping method to determine the social and cultural beliefs of university students and control PMS. PMS is a significant health problem and raising awareness of the issue alone may not be enough. It should also be noted that the severity of PMS can vary markedly between ethnic groups, and women's strategies for coping with symptoms and their effectiveness may differ between cultures. It is pivotal to develop strategies for university students to cope with PMS and provide personalized care.

Quality of life by dysmenorrhea severity in young and adult Japanese females: A web-based cross-sectional study

Dysmenorrhea is a monthly menstrual pain that can limit a woman's quality of life (QOL). The relationship between dysmenorrhea severity and QOL has been reported in several countries; however, the results cannot be generalized because lifestyle and cultural background affect menstrual pain. This study sought to uncover whether 1) different factors, such as emotions and ways of coping with symptoms, vary with the severity of dysmenorrhea and 2) the severity of dysmenorrhea ultimately affects QOL in Japan. A web-based cross-sectional survey was sent to 1000 Japanese females aged 16-30 years. The respondents were divided into two groups: those without dysmenorrhea (n = 24) and those with dysmenorrhea (n = 471). The severity of dysmenorrhea was classified using the Numerical Rating Scale as either mild (1-3), moderate (4-7), or severe (8-10). In total, 156 respondents reported mild dysmenorrhea, 249 reported moderate dysmenorrhea, and 66 reported severe dysmenorrhea. QOL was measured using the 26-item World Health Organization Quality of Life scale. One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare QOL across different levels of dysmenorrhea severity, depending on normality. Ultimately, significant differences in QOL scores (p<0.001) were observed based on dysmenorrhea severity, with respondents with severe dysmenorrhea reporting the lowest QOL scores. Meanwhile, significant differences were observed in the physical, psychological, and environmental subscales (p<0.001, p<0.001, p = 0.019) across respondents with different levels of dysmenorrhea severity; notably, respondents with severe dysmenorrhea demonstrated a negative spiral of chronic pain, which may significantly impact QOL, and, relatedly, a relatively low psychological QOL. This study is the first to show the relationship between dysmenorrhea severity and QOL in Japanese females, who are more likely to experience negative feelings during menstruation.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines and Adverse Effects in Gynecology and Obstetrics: The First Italian Retrospective Study

The most common effects reported by the Italian Medicine Agency following administration of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine are myalgia, soreness to the arm of inoculation, fever, and asthenia. To date, there are no specific and official reports registered by the Italian Medicine Agency on possible alterations of the menstrual cycle, or of the female reproductive system, following the vaccine. Actually, clinical experience showed a spread of transient adverse drug reactions of the menstrual cycle, following the administration of all COVID-19 vaccine types, both mRNA and Adenovirus vectored ones. In this work, we conducted the first retrospective study on Italian patients vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 in the period between April 2021 and April 2022, to report the onset of menstrual changes after the vaccine in order to understand: etiology, duration of possible adverse effects, and the extent of the phenomenon. We recruited 100 women aged 18-45, vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2, who were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of 12 multiple choice questions about the effects of the vaccine on the reproductive system. Thirty-seven of them received three doses of the vaccine, while the remaining 63 received two doses. Symptoms such as delayed menstruation and abnormal uterine bleeding (metrorrhagia, menometrorrhagia, and menorrhagia) were generally reported within the first three weeks of vaccination, especially after the second dose, with a percentage of 23% and 77%, respectively. These preliminary data suggest that this problem may be broader and deserving of further investigation in the future.