Severity and relation of primary dysmenorrhea and body mass index in undergraduate students of Karachi: A cross sectional survey

Objective: To determine the frequency of primary dysmenorrhea and its association with body mass index in female students.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March, 2018, in two districts of Karachi, and comprised female undergraduate students aged 15-25 years who had reached menarche at an appropriate age. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess dysmenorrhea while Seca scale was used for nutritional status. The association between body mass index and dysmenorrhea was worked out statistically using SPSS 23.

Results: Of the 410 students approached, 384(93.6%) responded. They had a mean age of 21±5.2 years. Dysmenorrhea was mild in 150(39%) subjects, 145(37.8%) moderate and 89(23.2%) severe. Overall, 273(71.1%) subjects had reached menarche aged 8-13 years. Dysmenorrhea was associated with radiating pain in 265(69%) and vomiting in 111(28.9%) subjects. Nutritional status was normal in 235(61.2%) subjects, 88(22.9%) were underweight, and 61(15.9%) were overweight and obese. Significant difference was observed in dysmenorrhea among underweight students (p<0.05). Age ?21 years also had a significant association with dysmenorrhea (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Dysmenorrhea was found to have a significant association with body mass index and age.

Keywords: Primary dysmenorrhea, Body mass index, BMI, Students, Pakistan.