Prevalence of Premenstrual Syndrome in Korean Female National Athletes and Associated Risk Factors

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome in elite female athletes and the associated factors. Methods: We surveyed elite female athletes in the National Training Center about their experiences of premenstrual syndrome. Premenstrual syndrome was diagnosed using the premenstrual symptoms screening tool. The Mann-Whitney test was applied to determine the association of premenstrual syndrome with differences in age, training time, and body mass index; and the chi-squared test was performed to investigate the association of premenstrual syndrome with differences in alcohol and coffee intake, diet for weight loss, stress fracture, and menstrual regularity. Results: Of the 124 athletes, 18 (14.5%) met the criteria for the diagnosis of premenstrual syndrome. These athletes complained of symptoms such as fatigue/lack of energy (18, 100%), anger/irritability (14, 77.8%), joint/muscle pain (10, 55.6%). There was no significant difference in menarche age, training time, or body mass index between the premenstrual syndrome and non-premenstrual syndrome groups. There was also no significant difference in alcohol or coffee intake, diet for weight, stress fracture, or menstrual regularity between the two groups. The athletes with premenstrual syndrome felt that premenstrual symptoms interfered with their performance, but few of them visited the doctor. Conclusion: Premenstrual syndrome athletes felt that their performance was hampered because their symptoms were not adequately managed. However, none of the factors we investigated showed any association with premenstrual syndrome. Hence more research and proactive management of the premenstrual symptoms of female athletes is recommended.