Public Health and Epidemiology: Open Access
Prevalence and Psychosocial Correlates of Premenstrual Syndrome Among University Students in Pakistan
Abstract
Saba Rafique, Faiza Rafique, Sumera Siddique, Laraib Fatima, Menahil Sajid, Hamna Khan, Hafsah Muhammad, Madiha Kanwal and Muhammad Irfan
Objective: To investigate the prevalence of PMS and Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and their associations with mental health and quality of life among university students in Pakistan.
Methods: A total of 221 female university students aged 18–30 years were recruited via simple non-random sampling. Data were collected using an online survey from October 2024 to July 2025. The questionnaire assessed PMS and PMDD status by using the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST), sociodemographic factors and utilized standardized instruments, including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36 to assess mental health and quality of life. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, and linear regression.
Results: The prevalence of PMS was 36.2%, and PMDD was 8.5%. Participants with PMS reported significantly higher levels of stress score (β=4.741, p=0.000), and depression score (β=9.380, p=0.000) compared to those without PMS. PMS was also associated with significantly poorer scores across all eight domains of QoL (p<0.05), with the most substantial declines in role limitations due to physical (β=-28.017, p=0.000) and emotional (β=-26.306, p=0.000) problems. PMDD was strongly associated with depression (β=7.226, p=0.042) and significantly greater role limitations due to emotional problems (β=-29.542, p=0.041).
Conclusion: Both PMS and PMDD are prevalent and significantly associated with poorer mental health and reduced quality of life among university students in Pakistan. These findings underscore the need for increased awareness, screening, and targeted interventions in educational and healthcare settings to mitigate the impact of premenstrual disorders.