Effects of exposure to endocrine disruptors, burnout, and social support from peers on premenstrual syndrome in nurses

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of exposure to endocrine disruptors, burnout, and social support from peers on premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in nurses. Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted among 122 nurses under the age of 49 working at a university hospital. The participants answered self-report questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression in IBM SPSS version 23.0. Results: The mean age of the nurses was 28.9 years. Of these nurses, 49.2% were working in a general ward, 24.6% in the intensive care unit, 14.8% in the emergency room, and 11.4% in an outpatient department. The explanatory power of the model was 38.3%, and it was statistically significant (F=11.74, p≤.001). Exposure to endocrine disruptors (β=0.32, p<.001) was the most powerful variable affecting PMS, followed by burnout (β=0.27, p=.001), working in the intensive care unit or emergency room (β=0.22, p=.003), family history of PMS (β=0.19, p=.009), and support from coworkers (β=–0.15, p=.043). Conclusion: Based on these findings, it is necessary to develop an intervention program to reduce the symptoms of PMS. Additionally, further studies are needed to develop and evaluate measures to minimize exposure to endocrine disruptors and burnout in order to alleviate PMS among nurses.