THE PREVALENCE OF PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS OF URMIA UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a combination of psychological, physical, and
behavioral symptoms which is seen in the late luteal phase of menstrual cycle in women at the age of
sexual maturity that disappears within several days upon the start of the menstruation and repeats in
many cycles. The purpose of this research was to estimate the prevalence of PMS in medical students
and the factors affecting PMS.
Materials & Methods: The research was performed on 142 medical students of Medicine Faculty of
Urmia University of Medical Sciences who accepted to take part in the research. The data of the
research was compiled using DSM-IV criteria PMS questionnaire and Premsnstrual Syndrom Scale
questionnaire.
Results: PMS was detected in 39.4% of the students based on DSM-IV and 79.6% based on ICD-10
criteria. Distribution of the severity of symptoms was 60.6% mild, 25.1% medium, and 14.2% sever.
The most frequent symptoms are mainly mood change, decreased tendency to life, depressed mood
and early tiredness. PMS was found significantly high in those students who have positive history of
PMS in their first degree relatives and who have used drugs to relieve PMS symptoms (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: PMS rate is relatively high in college students. This high prevalence provides a strong
rationale for enhanced recognition and treatment of the disorder