The Relationship between Perimenstrual Symptoms and Menstrual Attitude in high-school girls in Mashhad city in years 2011-2012

Menstrual attitude is one of the important factors predicting menstrual symptoms which vary among different cultures and countries. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between menstrual symptoms and menstrual attitude in high school girls in Mashhad.

This correlational study was conducted on 407 high-school girls in Mashhad through a two stage sampling method in year 2011. Participants completed questionnaires including demographic and menstrual characteristics, lifestyle and menstrual attitude and menstrual symptoms questionnaires during the three phases of the menstrual cycle (a week before menstrual period, menstrual bleeding period and weeks after menstruation). Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 14 and statistical tests such as Pearson correlation coefficient test, independent T-student, ANOVA and linear regression.

74% of students reported premenstrual symptoms, 94.1% menstrual symptoms and 40.8% postmenstrual symptoms. 24.8% of students agreed that menstruation was a troublous event, 28% a bothersome event; 12.3% a natural event, 27% a predictable event and 14.5% evaluated it as neutral. There was also the Pearson correlation coefficient test showed there was a significant correlation between perimenstrual symptoms and all dimensions of the menstrual attitude.

Perimenstrual symptoms have significant correlation with all dimensions of the menstrual attitude.