Prevalence of Primary Dysmenorrhea and Its Effect on the Quality of Life Among Female Students at Umm Al-Qura University

Introduction Primary dysmenorrhea is a common menstrual disorder causing significant physical and emotional discomfort, particularly among young women. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea, its associated symptoms, and its impact on the quality of life among female students at Umm Al-Qura University in Saudi Arabia. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among 620 female students aged 18-30 using a validated, self-reported questionnaire. Data collected included demographic information, menstrual history, dysmenorrhea characteristics, and quality of life measured by the Short Form Health Survey-12 (SF-12). The confidence interval (CI) was maintained at 95%, and a p-value of <0.05 was selected as the statistically significant level in all tests. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York). Results The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea was 83.7%. Of the participants, 51.1% reported moderate pain, while 32.6% experienced severe pain (pain score 8-10). Premenstrual syndrome was reported by 71.8%. Pain significantly impacted physical functioning, with 75.5% reporting decreased productivity due to menstrual pain, and 76.3% noted emotional problems. Family history of menstrual pain was present in 53.2% of the participants, and BMI had no significant correlation with pain severity. Conclusions Primary dysmenorrhea significantly affects the quality of life and academic performance of female students. Effective management strategies and increased awareness are essential to reduce its impact on young women's lives.