Work

A Study on Dysmenorrhea and Its Self-Care Behaviors Among Women of Reproductive Age in Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Menstrual cramps, which can be categorized as primary or secondary depending on the etiology, are a painful feature of dysmenorrhea. Researchers from throughout the country found that self-care practices for dysmenorrhea included reducing physical activity, adjusting diet, medications, or treatments, adopting alternative therapies, recording symptom clusters of discomforts, and expressing feelings. Methodology: There were 246 women in the reproductive age range who took part in this study. Thiruvallur district's Thirumazhisai town panchayat served as the location of a community-based cross-sectional study. Parameters such as menstrual history, food history, self-care techniques during dysmenorrhea, and sociodemographic information were evaluated using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was found to be 71.54%. Among 47.15% of the participants, 75.8% who were married were found to have dysmenorrhea, whereas 67.7% of the 52.54% participants who were unmarried had dysmenorrhea. The association between age, smoking habits, exercise, and the presence of dysmenorrhea was found to be statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Women, especially in India, have certain taboos and misconceptions associated with menstruation which can hurt their hygiene and self-care practices. This study highlights the need for menstrual hygiene awareness among women and proper self-care methods to be followed.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.71181

Authors: Charumathi B, Priya P, Rowland Marlina

Institution: Saveetha University

Language: English

Topic: Menstrual Health and Disorders

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Gender equality

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4403281109