Mastalgia in medical students: a prospective and multicentric study

Abstract

Introduction: Mastalgia or breast pain affects most women, especially those of reproductive age. Of organic or nonorganic cause and variable intensity, it is related to factors such as hormonal, dietary, metabolic, and emotional changes, making it difficult to understand its pathophysiology and the definition of care conduct. It can influence the quality of life. The aim of this study was to identify, classify, and know the treatments and their effectiveness for breast pain in university students, relating their interference in the quality of life. Methods: A total of 1,064 students from two medical schools in the interior of São Paulo were interviewed and evaluated using a standardized and specific questionnaire with the aim of characterizing breast pain. Results: Mastalgia was reported in 1,034 students (p=0.0003), body mass index >25 increased breast tenderness by 4.3 times (RR=4.3; p=0.001; 95%CI 2.5–6.73), and sedentary lifestyle increased by 10.82 times (p=0.02). It was more common in the premenstrual cycle (p=0.002), and the greater the intensity, the smaller the number of students who performed the self-examination (p=0.02). The greater the pain, the greater the chance of being absent from classes (RR=15.82; p=0.0003; 95%CI 13.23–17.3). Drug treatment was applied in 15.54% of the cases, with satisfactory results in 92.16% of them (p=0.000004). Conclusions: The study showed a high incidence of breast pain in medical students, impairing their academic activities, making it clear the importance of investigating any symptom related to the hormonal axis and showing significant efficiency of the pharmacological treatment.