Premenstrual Symptoms: Another Look

Overview

Journal Public Health Rep

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Public Health

Date 1987 Jul 1

PMID 3120207

Citations 1

Authors

N F Woods

Affiliations

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Abstract

A collection of over 200 symptoms has been labeled premenstrual syndrome. Common belief is that most women experience a marked increase in symptoms premenses. Cyclic variations in the prevalence of commonly cited perimenstrual symptoms were estimated from daily symptom recording. A community-based, multiethnic sample of 345 women recorded symptom severity from "not present" to "extreme" for 90 days. Maximum total reported symptom score occurred during menses, not during premenses. When individual symptoms are considered, the prevalence of those rated as moderate to extreme during menses is less than 15 percent. A method for identifying symptom severity patterns throughout the menstrual cycle is described. Six symptom severity patterns were identified. Only 13 percent of the women exhibited a pattern of increased symptom severity in the premenses. Another 13 percent had a pattern of decreased symptom severity in the premenses.

Citing Articles

Comparison of affect changes during the ovulatory phase in women with and without hormonal contraceptives.

Ocampo Rebollar A, Menendez Balana F, Conde Pastor M Heliyon. 2017; 3(4):e00282.

PMID: 28409184 PMC: 5382146. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00282.

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