Sidek, Nor Salasiah Mohd
(2011)
Prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea
Among undergraduate nursing
Student and its management in School
Of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains
Malaysia, Kelantan.
Other.
Pusat Pengajian Sains Kesihatan, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Abstract
This study was to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and approaches
taken by female degree nursing students in School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains
Malaysia in coping with menstrual pain. This is a cross sectional study and nonprobability
convenience sampling of 129 female students (19 to 35 years old) from Year
one to Year four. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic
and menstrual data. Pain intensity for dysmenorrhea was measured using
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Prevalence of dysmenorrhea found was 75.2% and mostly
occurred;;::: 4 years (33%) and 29.9% was not recalled. Pain was mostly occurs at the
onset of menstruation period (65%) and lasted for less than 1 day (52.6%). It was felt in
multiple locations but most commonly in the lower abdomen and lumbar region. Major
symptoms associated with dysmenorrhea were abdominal cramps, irritability, headache,
vomiting, diarrhea, frequency of micturition, constipation, as well as varying degrees of
pain severity. Most respondents experienced mild to moderate degree of pain.
Approaches taken to deal with dysmenorrhea were: consulting a physicians (22.7%),
pharmacological (50.5%), and non-pharmacological strategies (93.8%). Medication was
recommended mostly by friends (40.8%) and mothers (30.6%) and only took medication
when became severe ( 49% ). More than one-third of the respondents did not know which
drug they took. Major non-pharmacologic measures were: hot compress (48.5%), sleeping (74.2%), walking (12%), massaging (59.8%), listening to music (13.4%) and
eating sweet foods (9.3%). Consulting a physician (p<0.05) was associated with the
duration of pain and taking medication (p <0.05) was associated with severity of pain.
Respondents should be encouraged to consult a physician and should be prescribed
medication in addition to other measures to alleviate menstrual pain and shorten its
duration.
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