Prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea and its impact on daily chores of women

Primary dysmenorrhea refers to the common menstrual cramps experienced by most women during the menstrual period. To ascertain the prevalence and impact of primary dysmenorrhea among women, the present survey was carried out with a sample of 589 women aged between 15- 45 years. A standardized questionnaire was used to obtain the relevant data online. The results revealed that the prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 80.4%. The pain intensity was severe among 23.5% of subjects, whereas moderate and mild pain intensity was experienced by 45.5% and 31% of the subjects respectively. The subjects were reported to be experiencing menstrual pain for 1-3d. The impact of primary dysmenorrhea was observed in terms of loss of concentration in work (57%), being absent from work (28.4%) and inability to participate in social activities (28.3%). Apart from this impact on the daily chore activities, the women showed symptoms like back pain (64.4%), extreme tiredness (57.6%), mood swings (50.8%), acne (37.8%) and abdominal bloating (29.4%). It can be concluded from the current study that the majority of women experience moderate to severe pain during the menstrual time to the extent that the daily routine is disturbed and it would be appropriate to formulate pain management strategies to overcome the distress.