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European Journal of Pediatrics
Published in: European Journal of Pediatrics 5/2016

01-05-2016 | Original Article

Characteristics of the menstrual cycle in 13-year-old Flemish girls and the impact of menstrual symptoms on social life

Authors: Karel Hoppenbrouwers, Mathieu Roelants, Christel Meuleman, Anna Rijkers, Karla Van Leeuwen, Annemie Desoete, Thomas D’Hooghe

Published in: European Journal of Pediatrics | Issue 5/2016

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of symptoms related to the menstrual cycle and their impact on social activities in young teenage girls. Between March and June 2009, all girls born in 1996 who were residents of eight regions in Flanders (Belgium) received a semi-structured questionnaire, including questions about the age of menarche, characteristics of the menstrual cycle, and its impact on social activities. Participants were 792 13-year-old girls (15.7 % of the target population). Out of 363 (47.2 % of participants) postmenarcheal girls, 41.6 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 36.4–47.0 %) reported painful menstruations. The proportion of girls with painful menstrual periods decreased approximately 16 % with each year the age at menarche increased (relative risk (RR) = 0.84; 0.73–0.98; p < 0.05) and was positively correlated with the amount of blood loss (RR = 0.33; 0.16–0.67; p < 0.05 when little and 1.85; 1.49–2.31; p < 0.001 when abundant, compared to average). One in four (25.4 %) postmenarcheal girls indicated a negative impact of menstruation on social activities, but this proportion was significantly higher in girls who experienced menstruation as painful (41.3 %) compared to those who did not (14.2 %).
Conclusion: Early menstrual complaints are common in young adolescent girls and the likelihood of pain increased significantly with lower menarcheal age.
What is Known?
• Menstrual cycle-related symptoms may negatively interfere with school absence and social activities.
• Early menarche and severe dysmenorrhea are correlated with endometriosis.
What is New?
• In this large population-based study on the characteristics of the menstrual cycle in young teenage girls at or shortly after menarche, painful menstruation was highly prevalent (41.7 %), but related school absenteeism was low (3.2 %). The likelihood of pain increased significantly with lower menarcheal age.
• The findings support the need for a systematic evaluation of the characteristics of the menstrual cycle shortly after menarche.
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Metadata
Title
Characteristics of the menstrual cycle in 13-year-old Flemish girls and the impact of menstrual symptoms on social life
Authors
Karel Hoppenbrouwers
Mathieu Roelants
Christel Meuleman
Anna Rijkers
Karla Van Leeuwen
Annemie Desoete
Thomas D’Hooghe
Publication date
01-05-2016
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Journal of Pediatrics / Issue 5/2016
Print ISSN: 0340-6199
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1076
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-015-2681-7

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