Impact of menstrual symptoms on daily life: Does chronotype play a role in young women's experiences?
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | 10th INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON KINESIOLOGY |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://www.kif.unizg.hr/_news/18434/Proceedings%20-%20Final(1).pdf |
| Keywords | menstrual cycle; dysmenorrhea; pain; fatigue; circadian rhythm; circadian preference |
| Description | This study examined the prevalence of menstrual symptoms and their impact on young women's daily lives and sports activities. It also investigated the relationship between chronotype and the expression of these symptoms. 76 young women participated in an online survey covering questions about their menstrual cycle, symptoms, daily life impacts, circadian preferences, and anthropometric data. The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) was used to classify participants' chronotypes. The findings reveal that a significant portion of participants experience heavy menstrual bleeding (46.1%) and regular pain during menstruation (72.4%), along with other symptoms such as headaches (25%), lumbar spine pain (57.9%), lower abdominal pain (78.9%), and increased fatigue (63.2%). Evening chronotypes reported a higher prevalence of pain (81.8%) during menstruation, while intermediate types experienced more fatigue. Restrictions in daily and sports activities during menstruation were common; evening types exhibited the highest levels of activity limitation (36.4% of sports and 45.5% of daily activities). The statistical analysis of the study suggests that individuals with evening chronotypes may experience certain symptoms, such as heavy menstrual bleeding and a higher prevalence of lower abdominal pain, more significantly than those with intermediate and morning types (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant correlations were found between other menstrual symptoms or limitations in physical activity in relation to MEQ scores. Overall, this study reveals how circadian rhythms impact the expression of menstrual symptoms, highlighting the need for further research to explore underlying mechanisms and potential interventions to address this issue among young women. |
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