The Effect of Self-Care Strategies on Primary Dysmenorrhea among a Convenient Sample of Female Nursing Students

Abstract

: Background and aims: Primary dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecologic complaint affecting adolescents and young women. Many university students do not seek medical consultation and remain suffering from pain. It decreases academic performance and is a cause of absenteeism in female students. A Quasi-experimental study was conducted to study the effectiveness of self-care strategies in primary dysmenorrhea and monthly hormonal concentrations. Subjects and methods: The study was conducted in the College of Applied Medical Science, Shaqra University in the academic year 2021-2022. A convenient sample of eighty-two female nursing students volunteered to participate in the study, allocated into two groups the self-care strategies group (46) and the control group (36). Three tools for data collection were used; a structured interviewing questionnaire, a visual analogue scale, and menstrual changes follow-up chart. The concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, 17-β-estradiol, progesterone, and prolactin were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Other menstrual characteristics were also estimated using a mobile phone applications. Results: The current study revealed that the severity of pain and the associated symptoms was decreased in the self-care strategies group compared to the control group, with a highly statistically significant difference found between groups. Self-care strategies affected all the menstrual hormone concentrations significantly (P<0.001) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Using self-care strategies was very effective in relieving primary dysmenorrhea and improving menstrual health in female nursing students. Recommendation: Considering self-care strategies as one of an effective option for girls suffering from primary dysmenorrhea and very important for menstrual health.