Association of Dysmenorrhea with Mental Health and Academic Performance among University Students

Abstract

Background: To determine the association of dysmenorrhea with mental health and academic performance among university students. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 384 female university students of age 19 to 29 years. The data was collected using self-structured questionnaires. Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) were the outcome measure tools for determining pain and mental health. The CGPA grading system was used for observing academic performance. A chi-square test was applied to find out the association of dysmenorrhea with mental health and academic performance. Results: There were 356 (92.7%) participants who were experiencing painful menstruation with a mean age of 22.97 ± 8.79 years. The majority of females i.e., 186 (48.4%) had moderate pain. There was a statistically significant relationship between dysmenorrhea and the academic performance of students (p<0.05). However, no association was observed between dysmenorrhea and mental health (p<0.05). Conclusion: Dysmenorrhea is highly prevalent among university female students, but it is not significantly associated with mental health. However, there is a significant association between dysmenorrhea and the academic performance of university students.

Keywords

• Academic Performance
• Depression Anxiety Stress Scale
• Mental Health
• Menstrual Pain
• Dysmenorrhea