exudates and Premenstrual-Syndrome

This study aimed to determine menstrual characteristics and related morbidities among adolescent girls living in Sabah, North Borneo, a less-developed state in Malaysia.. Data were obtained from a quantitative survey conducted in three government high schools located in Ranau, Sabah. The participants were adolescent girls who had attained menarche between the ages of 14 and 19.. Based on the analysis of questionnaires completed by 757 adolescent girls, the mean age at the time of the survey was 17 ± 1.4 years, and the mean menarche age was 12.2 ± 1.1 years. Our data demonstrated that 85.7% of the participants experienced dysmenorrhoea, of which at least 42.1% (mean pain score ± SD: 4.81 ± 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.72, 4.90) experienced moderate dysmenorrhoea, and 11.2% (mean pain score ± SD: 7.86 ± 0.94, 95% CI 7.64, 8.08) experienced severe dysmenorrhoea. Over 70% of these girls complained of tiredness, headache, and appetite changes during menses.. The prevalence of menstrual disorders and related morbidities was high among the girls residing in Sabah. Reproductive health issues in rural and socioeconomically deprived areas remains poorly addressed. The main consequence of neglecting menstrual disorders and their related morbidities is impaired future sexual reproductive health in adults. Thus, addressing adolescent reproductive health issues is crucial, especially for girls living in areas where access to healthcare is difficult. The information gathered from this study can be used to strategize effective interventions to improve adolescents' reproductive health status in rural areas.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Borneo; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dysmenorrhea; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Menstruation Disturbances; Premenstrual Syndrome; Prevalence; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult

Topics: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Nonprescription Drugs; Pharmacists; Premenstrual Syndrome; Professional Role; Surveys and Questionnaires

Menstruation has important implications on the physical and emotional well-being of adolescents' reproductive health.. This study aimed to investigate the perception towards menstruation and premenstrual syndrome (PMS), to provide insight into menstrual-related education information in order to help adolescent girls manage the physical and psychological changes associated with menstruation.. This cross-sectional study included 1,092 adolescent females from 94 schools in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used in the data collection.. The results showed the mean scores on the menstrual attitude questionnaire to be 2.80 (SD ±1.88) out of six. A total of 80.7% and 83.6% of the participants experienced one or more affective and somatic symptoms respectively in the premenstrual phase. Irritability, mood swing and tension were the three most frequently reported affective symptoms, while fatigue and menstrual cramps were highly prevalent somatic symptoms in both the premenstrual and menstrual phases. The effects on functional impairment and quality of life, in order of importance, include poor class concentration, restriction of social and recreational activities, difficulty to mingle with friends, and poor class performance. Despite the evident impact, only 10.3% of adolescent girls consulted doctors for PMS symptoms, while one-third did nothing about their condition. There were ethnic differences in the seeking of treatment for PMS.. The study calls for an education program related to PMS and menstrual-related disorders to provide information and support to adolescents. This will help them to cope better with menstrual-related problems, and encourage positive attitudes to menstruation.

Topics: Adolescent; Asian People; Attitude; Body Image; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dysmenorrhea; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Menstruation; Premenstrual Syndrome; Self Concept

Attitudes toward menarche and menstruation are largely influenced by sociological, cultural, and family environmental factors. Recognizing the influential effects that these factors might have on shaping adolescents' attitudes is crucial in designing a more effective means of transmitting health information.. This study aimed to gather an in-depth understanding of perceptions, impacts, and treatment seeking on menstruation-related issues from an ethnically mixed group of rural and urban girls.. In total, 27 focus group discussions (172 participants) were conducted between November 2008 and April 2009. Participants were adolescent girls aged 13-19 years, recruited from 7 public secondary schools in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and 4 public secondary schools from the rural districts of Kelantan, in Malaysia.. Many participants revealed that they were not given or had not received detailed information about the mechanism or physiology of menstruation prior to its onset. Thus, many described the onset of menarche as shocking, an event for which they were unprepared, and which has had a tremendous impact on their emotions. More positive acceptance of menarche was reported in the urban than with the rural groups. Despite the high prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea, participants across urban-rural and ethnic groups perceived the problems as completely normal, hence they relied on self-care methods and did not want to seek professional treatment. More rural girls compared to urban girls were embarrassed to talk to their mothers or consult their physicians regarding menstruation-related problems.. Menstruation-related education would have a positive impact in improving adolescent girls' knowledge and in nurturing a positive attitude toward menstruation-related matters at home, at school, and in the community.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Dysmenorrhea; Female; Focus Groups; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Malaysia; Menarche; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Premenstrual Syndrome; Rural Population; Urban Population; Young Adult

Folk culture surrounding menstrual-related matters has considerable implications for symptom expression and treatment-seeking behavior. A cross-sectional survey of 1,295 rural adolescent girls aged 13 to 19 years was conducted between February 4 and April 16, 2009 to examine these associations. With a higher score indicating a more positive attitude toward menstruation, the mean attitude score was 3.84 (SD ± 1.62) out of a maximum of six. No significant association was observed between the severity of menstrual symptoms and attitudes. Most (63.1%) of the participants identified themselves as having premenstrual symptoms, and 61.1% viewed premenstrual symptoms as a normal part of menstrual cycle. Participants with a higher severity of symptoms in the premenstrual (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.10) and menstrual phase (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07), were more likely to consult a physician for premenstrual symptoms, and having a divorced/separated parents was associated with a reduced odds of consulting a physician compared to those having parents that were married (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.05-0.83). The findings imply the need for education to help adolescent girls manage menstrual symptoms and increase awareness of the benefit of treating them. Given that menstrual-related information was widely available from mothers, family, and social culture are potentially important in shaping good menstrual attitudes.

Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Malaysia; Menstruation; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Premenstrual Syndrome; Psychology, Adolescent; Rural Population; Schools; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult

To determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea, its impact, and the treatment-seeking behavior of adolescent Asian girls.. A cross-sectional study with 1092 girls from 15 public secondary schools and 3 ethnic groups in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.. Overall, 74.5% of the girls who had reached menarche had dysmenorrhea; 51.7% of these girls reported that it affected their concentration in class; 50.2% that it restricted their social activities; 21.5% that it caused them to miss school; and 12.0% that it caused poor school performance. Ethnicity and form at school were significantly associated with the poor concentration, absenteeism, and restriction of social and recreational activities attributed to dysmenorrhea. Only 12.0% had consulted a physician, and 53.3% did nothing about their conditions. There were ethnic differences in the prevalence, impact, and management of dysmenorrhea.. There is a need for culture-specific education regarding menstruation-related conditions in the school curriculum.

Topics: Adolescent; Asian People; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dysmenorrhea; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Menstruation; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Premenstrual Syndrome; Prevalence; Young Adult

The onset of menstruation is part of the maturation process. However, variability in menstrual cycle characteristics and menstrual disorders are common. The purpose of this study was to determine the menstrual characteristics of adolescent females and factors associated with it.. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out on 2,411 secondary school adolescent females in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire on menstruation in Bahasa Malaysia.. Abnormal cycle length (menstrual cycle longer than 35 days or cycle length between 14 to 20 days or irregular pattern) was common and affected 37.2 percent of subjects. The majority (74.6 percent) experienced premenstrual syndrome and 69.4 percent had dysmenorrhoea. About 18 percent reported excessive menstrual loss (use two pads at a time to prevent blood from soaking through or confirmed by doctor to be anaemic due to heavy menstrual flow). Only 11.1 percent of schoolgirls seeked medical consultation for their menstrual disorders. Mothers remained the most important source of information (80 percent). Menstrual disorders were significantly more common in female adolescents who smoke and have suicidal behaviours (p-value is less than 0.05).. Menstrual problems among adolescent female are common. They are influenced by certain modifiable factors.

Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Medicine; Adult; Age Factors; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dysmenorrhea; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Surveys; Humans; Life Style; Malaysia; Menarche; Menstruation Disturbances; Premenstrual Syndrome; Schools; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors