The Prevalence of Menstrual Problems amongst Adolescent Girls in Northeastern Iran

Abstract

Background & Objective: The start of menstruation is an important event in female puberty, but there are several health related problems that may be associated with its occurrence. Our goal was to estimate the frequency of menstrual problems and determine the factors related with them in adolescents. Materials & Methods: Girls were recruited from the Mashhad and Sabzevar regions in northeastern Iran. Adolescent girls who had attained menarche were administrated to complete a self–reported questionnaire containing items about menstrual pattern and premenstrual symptoms. Descriptive and categorical data were analyzed for statistical significance using t-tests and chi-square tests. Results: Eight hundred and ninety seven girls (mean age 14.0±1.3 years) ranging in age from 10 to 19 years were recruited. The mean age of menarche was 12.57±1.19 years for the girls recruited in Sabzevar vs 12.68±1.23 years in group from Mashhad (P <0.05). Dysmenorrhea was observed in 617 (68.8%) of participants and irregular cycle was found in 168 (18.7%) of cases. Also, 47.6% of participants had premenstrual syndrome (PMS) which was significantly associated with dysmenorrhea (P<0.05). Backache (60%) and tendency to cry easily (31.8%) were common premenstrual disorders among participants. 21% had delayed menarche and 2.1% suffered from menorrhagia. The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea and obesity in girls with early menarche was significantly higher compared to those with delayed menarche (P<0.05). Conclusion: Menstrual disorders affect a large percentage of Iranian girls. More than half of participants experienced dysmenorrhea that often required medical treatment.