J Korean Med Sci.  2023 May;38(18):e136. 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e136.

Weight Changes and Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors Are Associated With Dysmenorrhea in Young Women

• Han K
• Lim NK
• Choi H
• Song BM
• Park HY

• KMID: 2542028
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e136

Abstract

Background
This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and to investigate the effect of weight changes or unhealthy weight control behaviors on dysmenorrhea in young Korean women.
Methods
We used large-scale data of women, aged 14 to 44 years, who participated in the Korean Study of Women’s Health-Related Issues. Dysmenorrhea was measured using a visual analog scale and was categorized as none, mild, moderate, and severe according to the severity. Weight changes and unhealthy weight control behaviors (any of the behaviors, fasting/meal skipping, drugs, the use of unapproved dietary supplements, and one-food diets) over the past year were self-reported. We used multinomial logistic regression to investigate the association between weight changes or unhealthy weight control behaviors and dysmenorrhea.
Results
Of the 5,829 young women participating in the study, 5,245 (90.0%) participants experienced dysmenorrhea [2,184 (37.5%) had moderate and 1,358 (23.3%) had severe]. After adjusting for confounders, the odds ratios for moderate and severe dysmenorrhea in participants with weight changes ≥ 3 kg (vs. < 3 kg) were 1.19 (95% confidence interval: 1.05–1.35) and 1.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.08–1.45), respectively. The odds ratios in participants with any unhealthy weight control behaviors were 1.22 (95% confidence interval: 1.04–1.42) and 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.19–1.67) for those with moderate and severe dysmenorrhea, respectively.
Conclusion
Weight changes (≥ 3 kg) or unhealthy weight control behaviors are common among young women, which may adversely affect dysmenorrhea. Therefore, attention needs to be paid to excessive weight changes and unhealthy weight control behaviors to improve dysmenorrhea in young women.

Keyword

Menstruation; Body Weight Changes; Young Adult; Health Risk Behaviors

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Prevalence of PMS according to the severity of dysmenorrhea. (A) PMS in the study population. (B) PMS stratified according to the life cycle stage. P value from Cochran-Armitage trend test.PMS = premenstrual syndrome.

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