Menstruation and quality of life among female teenagers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Abstract

Background/Aims There is a lack of information about how premenstrual symptoms and menstrual symptoms affect the quality of life of adolescent girls in Nigeria and the coping strategies they adopt to manage them. The study aimed to identify premenstrual and menstrual symptoms among adolescents, as well as their effect on quality of life and the strategies adolescents adopt to cope with these symptoms. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design using multi-stage sampling was used to recruit 357 adolescent girls. Data were collected in 2019 using a questionnaire and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results The mean quality of life score of participants was 41.31. A significant relationship was found between the prevalence of premenstrual and menstrual symptoms and overall quality of life, general health, physical health and psychological domains of quality of life (P<0.01). The most used coping strategy during the menstrual and premenstrual periods was self-care. A significant relationship exists between coping strategies and quality of life (P<0.02). Conclusions The majority of the participants experienced premenstrual and menstrual symptoms that affected their quality of life. It is recommended that female adolescents are taught how to manage premenstrual and menstrual symptoms.