Dysmenorrhea among high-school students and its associated factors in Kuwait

Sharefah Al-Matouq 1, Hessah Al-Mutairi 1, Ohood Al-Mutairi 1, Fatima Abdulaziz 1, Dana Al-Basri 1, Mona Al-Enzi 1, Abdullah Al-Taiar 2

Affiliations

18 March 2019

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doi: 10.1186/s12887-019-1442-6

Abstract

Background: Although dysmenorrhea is not a life-threatening condition, it can cause a substantial burden on individuals and communities. There is no data on the prevalence of dysmenorrhea in Kuwait. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among female public high-school students in Kuwait and investigate factors associated with dysmenorrhea.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using multistage cluster sampling with probability proportional to size method was conducted on 763 twelfth grade female public high-school students (aged 16-21 years). We used face-to-face interview with a structured questionnaire to collect data on dysmenorrhea and presumed risk factors. Weight and height of the students were measured using appropriate weight and height scales in a standardized manner. The association between dysmenorrhea and potential risk factors was assessed using multiple logistic regression.

Results: The one-year prevalence of dysmenorrhea was found to be 85.6% (95%CI: 83.1-88.1%). Of the participants with dysmenorrhea, 26% visited a public or a private clinic for their pain and 4.1% were hospitalized for their menstrual pain. Furthermore, 58.2% of students with dysmenorrhea missed at least one school day and 13.9% missed at least one exam. Age of menarche (p-value = 0.005), regularity and flow of the menstrual period (p-value = 0.025, p-value = 0.009; respectively), and drinking coffee (p-value = 0.004) were significantly associated with dysmenorrhea in multivariable analysis.

Conclusion: Dysmenorrhea seems to be highly prevalent among female high-school students in Kuwait, resembling that of high-income countries. Because of the scale of the problem, utilizing school nurses to reassure and manage students with primary dysmenorrhea and referring suspected cases of secondary dysmenorrhea is recommended.

Keywords: Dysmenorrhea; Kuwait; Menstrual pain; School girls.

Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was approved by The Ethics Committee at Health Science Center, Kuwait University (Ref: 3660–16/10/2017). Written informed consent was taken from each participant. As per the waiver from The Ethics Committee, no consents were sought from the parents.

Consent for publication

Not applicable as no individual data are published.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1 Management of menstrual pain by 653 female public high-school students with dysmenorrhea, Kuwait 2017

Fig. 1 Management of menstrual pain by 653 female public high-school students with dysmenorrhea, Kuwait 2017

Fig. 2 Reported symptoms of dysmenorrhea during the menstrual period by 763 female public high-school students, Kuwait 2017

Fig. 2 Reported symptoms of dysmenorrhea during the menstrual period by 763 female public high-school students, Kuwait 2017

Fig. 3 Reported symptoms of dysmenorrhea before the menstrual period by 763 female public high-school students, Kuwait 2017

Fig. 3 Reported symptoms of dysmenorrhea before the menstrual period by 763 female public high-school students, Kuwait 2017

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