[The prevalence of menstrual disorders in reproductive aged women and its related factors]

ABSTRACT

Normal menstruation is one of important indicators of the general health of reproductive-aged women. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of menstrual disorders and its related factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted among women participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, a population-based study aimed identify the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases from March 2013 to 2014. A total of 1393 women, aged 15-49 yr were included and all pregnant, breastfeeding and menopausal women were excluded. Socio-demographic characteristics and menstruation patterns were assessed by a standardized ad-hoc questionnaire. Menstruation was categorized based on last FIGO definitions. Data analyzed using SPSS version 11.0 [SPSS-Inc., Chicago-IL], 0.05 was set as significant level. Mean age of participants was 37.7 [11] y. The results showed that 64.1% of subjects had normal menstruation and 35.8% experienced different forms of menstrual disorders. Heavy menstrual bleeding was one of the most prevalent disorders [17.2%]. Prevalence of menstrual disorders was statistically higher in women <20 yr [47.7%] and >/=40yr [45.5%] than women between the 20-40 yr age range [P=0.001]. Irregular menstrual bleeding in >20 yr, heavy menstrual bleeding in 20-40 yr and >/= 40yr were the most common menstrual disorders. The results remain unchanged for age and BMI after adjustment for potential confounders [OR 1.08, CI 95% 1.07-3.97; P<0.03], [OR 1.05, CI 95% 1.02-5.04; P<0.04], respectively. Our findings showed that menstrual disorders are prevalent as one-third of reproductive aged women suffer from one or more menstrual disorders. Understanding the prevalence of menstrual disorders could help health care providers to identify some serious diseases, and prioritize strategies to promote these women's quality of life