Scenting Relief-Aromatherapy for alleviating Primary Dysmenorrhea in Adolescents and Young Women: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is prevalent among adolescents and young women, significantly impacting their quality of life. Aromatherapy has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for managing PD, but its age-specific efficacy, mode of application, and type of aroma oils remain underexplored. Thus, this systematic review evaluate aromatherapy's effectiveness in alleviating PD symptoms among adolescents and young women aged 10–24.Methods Data were sourced from PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE), and through cross-referencing. Results were synthesized by conducting meta-analysis using random-effects models, and assessing heterogeneity using I² statistics. Quality assessment of the included studies was also carried out.Results A total of 15 studies were included for meta-analysis of which 4 were RCTs and 11 were non-RCTs. Aromatherapy significantly reduced PD pain score across studies, with a standardized mean difference (SMD) of -3.19 (CI -5.09, -1.28; I² = 98%) and − 0.98 (CI-1.40, -0.57; I² = 64%) in quasi-experimental studies and RCTs, respectively. In addition, moderate to severe pain was measured categorically (RR: 0.39; CI 0.25, 0.60; I² = 36%).. Adolescents exhibited the most significant benefit (SMD: -3.64; CI -6.24, -1.03; I² 98%; RR: 0.39; CI 0.25, 0.60; I² = 36%), compared to young women (SMD: -1.04; CI -1.35, -0.72; I² 53%). Inhalation aromatherapy (SMD − 3.09; CI -5.06, -1.12; I² 98% ) showed superior efficacy over massage (SMD − 1.20; CI -1.45, -0.96; I² 7%). Rose essential oil, cinnamon, and peppermint oil demonstrated significant efficacy, while lavender and lemon oils showed varying outcomes.Conclusion This study supports aromatherapy's effectiveness in reducing PD symptoms, particularly among adolescents. Standardized protocols and well-designed trials are needed to optimize aromatherapy's therapeutic potential for managing menstrual pain across diverse age groups, addressing current gaps in research methodology and oil-specific efficacy.