Korean J Community Nutr.  2013 Dec;18(6):577-587. 10.5720/kjcn.2013.18.6.577.

Menstruation and the Variability of Food Intake in Female College Students

• Kang S
• Lee Y

• KMID: 2267580
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2013.18.6.577

Abstract

This study aimed to elicit the variability of appetite and food intake patterns in female college students during different menstrual phases. The craving for certain foods and physiological and psychological symptoms of menstrual phase (pre- and post-menstrual) were investigated by self-administered questionnaire. Three hundred and sixty six students who were 20.9 years old and had 19.8 kg/m2 of BMI volunteered to participate in this study. Most of the subjects (89.5%) experienced the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) such as irritation, bodily fatigue, nervosity. Symptoms such as tiredness, stomachache, changes in taste and increased appetite were pointed out to be experienced at the onset of the menstrual cycle. The variability of food intake in premenstrual phase, 11.0% of subjects had decreased food intake where as 68.8% had experienced increased intake. The postmenstrual phase, 20.1% had decreased food intake while 45.2% had experienced increased intake due to changes in the appetite. Before starting menstruation, most of the subjects craved for sweets. The group who had experienced abnormal appetite during menstrual phase was significantly high ratio in overweight and obese students (p < 0.05). We also observed an association between the PMS score and the variability of eating patterns during the menstrual phase. The students who experienced changing appetite and food intake had significantly high PMS score in the premenstrual phase (p < 0.01) and postmenstrual phase (p < 0.05). These results suggested a need for future study related to changes in the actual nutrient intake and activity level during the menstrual phase.

Keyword

appetite; premenstrual syndrome; food intake; sweets; menstrual phase

MeSH Terms

Appetite
Eating*
Fatigue
Female
Female*
Humans
Menstrual Cycle
Menstruation*
Overweight
Premenstrual Syndrome
Surveys and Questionnaires

Figure

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  Fig. 1 The premenstrual syndrome (PMS) scores 1) Average score (0; points for strongly disagree, 1; points for disagree, 2; points for neutral, 3; points for agree, 4; points for strongly agree)

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  Fig. 2 The changing food intake patterns between pre and post-menstruation

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  Fig. 3 Comparison of the variability of food intake between premenstrual and post-menstrual phases

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