Exploring the Impact of Young Girls' Menstrual Attitudes on Dysmenorrhea: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim and Objectives: To determine the Effect of Menstrual Attitudes of Young Girls on Dysmenorrhea.

Study Design: The population of the study consisted of 3393 female students studying at a university in the Inner Aegean region of Turkey. The sample size was calculated as n=345 with the program Epi Info 2000, with a 95% confidence interval, a 5% margin of error, and a 50% unknown prevalence. The sample was determined using the stratified sampling method. Data which did not match the research criteria was left out of the study, and the analyses were conducted on 320 people. All necessary permissions were obtained in writing. In the collection of data, an Individual Description Form, the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) and the Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire were used.

Place and Duration of Study: The data of the research was collected between 14 April and 1 June 2014 at a university in the Inner Aegean region of Turkey.

Methodology: The sample was determined using the stratified sampling method. Data which did not match the research criteria was left out of the study, and the analyses were conducted on 320 people. All necessary permissions were obtained in writing. In the collection of data, an Individual Description Form, the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) and the Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire were used. In order to conduct statistical evaluation, t test in independent groups, One-way ANOVA test, the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskall Wallis test and correlation and multiple regression analysis were performed.

Results: It was determined that the mean age of the young women was 20.6±1.86, and 98.8% were single and 1.2% were married. It was determined that 6.6% of young women could not go to school regularly due to dysmenorrhea, and 48.6% could not go to school sometimes. It was determined that 45% of the young women used drugs for dysmenorrhea, 51.1% used traditional or complementary methods, and heat application was the most common. It was determined that young women were most affected by negative emotions during the menstrual period. There was a weak and positive correlation between the MDQ menstrual period mean scores of young women and the Menstrual Attitude Scale mean score (r=266, p<0.01).

Conclusion: It may be said that an 11% part of the dysmenorrhea problem is affected by menstrual attitude.