The Affecting Factors of Premenstrual Syndrome in Female College Students with Disabilities in Taiwan

Abstract

Objective: This study measured the symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and explored the affecting factors and predictors in female students with disabilities. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional and quantitative study. The subjects were female college students with disabilities who were recruited from Taiwan through college counseling centers using cluster random sampling. A total of 180 subjects completed valid questionnaires. The research data was analyzed by SPSS Version 18.0 through independent t-test and stepwise regression. Results: The mean age of participants was 20.85 years. The most severe and remissive symptoms were irritability, unstable mood and lack of energy. There was high prevalence of PMS for female students with disabilities (97.2%). The affecting factors of the severe PMS were gynecological disease, diet, family menstruation uncomfortable history, irregularity, lifestyle, irregular diet, learning hassles, interpersonal hassles, and irregular exercise. The crucial predictors of the severity of PMS were interpersonal hassles, gynecological disease, and irregular exercise. The explained proportion of variance was 16.9%, while the affecting factors of the remission of PMS were the severity of PMS and acceptance of mindfulness, while the crucial predictors of the remission of PMS were the same two factors. The explained proportion of variance was 67.3%. Conclusion: This study offers suggestions for how to manage PMS by exercise, diet, healthy lifestyle, decreasing psychological disturbances, and offering mindfulness practices. Allowing mindfulness philosophy to be practiced in students’ daily lives can improve their symptoms of PMS.