A Cross Sectional Study to Assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Health Care Seeking Behaviour towards Dysmenorrhea among Female Students in a Medical College, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu

Background: Menstruation is a normal physiological process that occurs throughout the reproductive years of every woman[1]. Most of the women experience mild pain and discomfort during menstruation. Dysmenorrhea is defined as cramping pain in the lower abdomen accompanying menstruation.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and healthcare-seeking behavior towards dysmenorrhea among female students in a medical college, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 292 female students in Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Chennai. A pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used and data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 16.0 and were presented in tables reporting frequency counts and percentages. Statistical significant tests were conducted using chi-square.

Results: The dysmenorrhea was reported in 243 (83.2%) of them. Out of which 206 (70.54%) had primary dysmenorrhea and 37 (12.67%) had secondary dysmenorrhea which was categorized on the basis of onset of pain. A statistically significant relationship was seen between the type of menstrual cycle and dysmenorrhea (P=0.013).

Conclusion: Many women consider dysmenorrhea to be a normal part of the menstrual cycle and thus fail to seek help. The consequences of untreated dysmenorrhea include poor concentration, highest incidence of absenteeism, resulting in loss of work hours and economic loss and social withdrawal. Therefore, interventions such as education programmes on effective management of dysmenorrhea can be planned with intention to improve the quality of life among the female students.