ABSTRACT
Education about menstruation is a sensitive topic for young female students; providing appropriate knowledge is essential for maintaining and improving their health. The present study was conducted to collect data corresponding to different factors affecting health among young individuals; the menstrual status, exercise habits, sleep status, and body composition of these individuals as well as the relationships among these factors, were evaluated. Altogether, 200 female students responded to the survey; 129 completed all the physical measurement items. As a case study, face-to-face interviews regarding menstrual symptoms were conducted. Results showed that 49/200 (25%) and 120/200 (60%) participants experienced moderate or severe pain before and during menstruation, respectively. The degree of pain one week before menstruation and during menstruation were significantly positively correlated (r = 0.573, p < 0.01). When analyzed as group data, it was difficult to identify the relationship between menstrual status, exercise habits, and sleep status; these were found to be intricately associated with various factors. The case study analysis confirmed that some individuals experienced physical and psychological symptoms, such as irregular menstrual cycles, premenstrual syndrome, and severe menstrual cramps.
ABSTRACT
[Objectives] Psychological factors are mentioned as one of the causes of menstrual pain and menstruation-associated symptoms. In this study, the relationship between menstrual pain, menstruation-associated symptoms, and personality was examined. [Methods] We targeted women who were menstruating and had provided informed consent. A questionnaire was conducted to obtain information on age, height, weight, degree of menstrual pain, menstruation-associated symptoms, and new personality inventory. Correlation analysis of Spearman was conducted on the relationship between menstrual pain, menstruation-associated symptoms, and personality.[Results] We distributed questionnaires to 250 persons and obtained responses from 166 persons. "Anxiety" correlated with menstrual pain and multiple factors of menstruation-associated symptoms, "depression" correlated with multiple factors of menstruation-associated symptoms. In addition, "aggression," "inferiority complex," and "non-cooperativeness" correlated with negative emotional factors of menstruation-associated symptoms.[Discussion] For "anxiety" and "depression," it was speculated that the symptoms became stronger due to poor circulation and serotonin deficiency during menstruation. In addition, the depressive aspects of "aggression," "non-cooperativeness," and "inferiority complex" were also considered to have an influence on negative emotional factors of menstruation-associated symptoms.[Conclusions] "Anxiety" correlated with menstrual pain and multiple factors of menstruation-associated symptoms, and "depression" correlated with multiple factors of menstruation-associated symptoms.
ABSTRACT
AIMS: Hormonal imbalances can affect a woman's physical and mental condition, impacting her daily life and productivity. A mobile application, "Karada-no-kimochi", predicts the menstrual cycle based on recorded data, and provides the information regarding menstruation. This study investigates the effectiveness of the application from health condition and labor productivity loss perspectives, and evaluates its cost-effectiveness for employed women in Japan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was performed to compare the use of the application and non-intervention in female workers (20-45 years) based on an online survey. A discrete-event model based on the RCT data, published literature, and claims data was used for the cost-effectiveness analysis. RESULTS: The intervention and non-intervention groups comprised 612 and 914 women, respectively. In the intervention group, the incidences of depression (0.16%) and dysmenorrhea (0.33%) were significantly lower than those of the non-intervention group (0.77% and 1.31%, respectively) in the third month. While labor productivity and absenteeism varied, presenteeism showed almost no change across groups. The quality-adjusted life year in the intervention group was 6.84 (0.07 higher than that in the non-intervention group). By analyzing medical expenses and making assumptions regarding productivity, we estimated that the aggregate of medical expenses, productivity loss, and application fee for the intervention group could be lower than that of the non-intervention group by over JPY 130,000 (USD 1,170, as of December 2017) per individual. LIMITATIONS: The subjects included were willing or relatively willing to use the application. Because all outcomes were based on online surveys, the results depended on the objectivity and preciseness of the reports provided by users, and those with severe symptoms might not provide reports. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that using the application is cost-effective and might reduce the incidence of dysmenorrhea and depression.
