Factors Associated with Premenstrual Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study of Female Adolescents (Morocco)

Abstract

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a heterogeneous disorder which includes physical and affective symptoms that most females of reproductive age experience during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle.  Objective: This study aims to investigate the factors associated with PMS among adolescent schoolgirls and to assess the severity of PMS. Methods: A cross sectional study conducted among 102 adolescents representing Marrakesh city. A structured questionnaire was used. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 26.  Results: The rate of mild to severe PMS were 52.9 %, 25.5 % and 21.6 % respectively. The most common physical symptoms were backache (52.9%) and breast tenderness (36.3%), while the most common affective symptoms were irritability (49 %), anxiety (46.1 %) and mood swelling (45.1 %). Significant differences were observed between PMS group and non-PMS group in level of education (p< 0.05), sweets consumption (p< 0.05) and family’s status (p< 0.05). There was no significant association between PMS and BMI.  Conclusion: Based on the findings, it seems that the occurrence of PMS is associated with sweet consumption frequency. This study showed also that the most common PMS symptoms were irritability and backache.