Burden of menstrual symptoms in Japanese women: results from a survey-based study

Abstract

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first large-scale research assessing outcomes by severity categories for all menstrual symptoms and women's perception of bleeding. A large proportion of women suffer from menstrual symptoms, and symptom severity impacts women's lives. Menstrual symptoms lead to significant economic burden, mainly due to work productivity loss. However, the majority of women do not visit a gynecologist, even when their menstrual symptoms are severe. Thus, increasing public awareness on the recently available medical treatments has the potential to improve the overall burden of menstrual problems.

Treatment preferences among Japanese women with dysmenorrhea: results from a discrete choice experiment study

“…The age distribution in the current study was highly similar to other cross-sectional survey studies on dysmenorrhea in Japan 5–7,15. A larger proportion of participants in this study were employed (full time, part time, or self-employed) than in the two studies that reported on this variable,5,6 although the annual household income distribution in the current study was in line with a study by Tanaka et al5 Most participants in this study had normal BMI, whereas the majority of participants in a study by Nohara et al were underweight 7. Additionally, OTC analgesic use in this study was moderately higher than that of outpatients, as well as women in the general population, with dysmenorrhea in studies by Tanaka et al,5,6 yet much lower than the OTC analgesic use reported by women with dysmenorrhea who did not seek medical treatment 5.…”

“…Respondents were also asked to self-report on the level of work productivity loss they experienced over the past 3 months and the past 6 months due to dysmenorrhea using a measure that was based on a prior study of dysmenorrhea in Japan 6. The specific items and response options were as follows: during the previous 3 (or 6) months, I was absent from work/school work/household chores due to dysmenorrhea symptoms (yes/no; if yes, respondent was asked to report the total number of days); during the previous 3 (or 6) months, I decreased work/school work/household chores volume or time due to dysmenorrhea symptoms (yes/no; if yes, respondent was asked to report the total number of days); during the previous 3 (or 6) months, there were days I had decreased efficiency in work/school work/household chores due to dysmenorrhea symptoms (yes/no; if yes, respondent was asked to report the total number of days).…”

“…This idea is supported by a recent prospective, cross-sectional survey of female Jordanian college students in which over three-quarters self-reported experiencing menstrual pain, yet <10% of these respondents sought medical treatment 25. This is also likely the case in Japan, as cross-sectional population studies have shown that only 12%–20% of women who reported experiencing menstrual pain consulted with a health care provider about treatment 6,16. Additionally, religious or cultural beliefs, as well as negative societal attitudes toward menstruation, may not only inhibit women from broaching the topic with their health care provider but also make it less likely that clinicians will raise this issue with their patients 24.…”

“…Another more recent observational study of Japanese women aged 15–49 found that, among those who had visited a gynecologist in the past 3 months for menstrual symptoms, 19.7% self-reported a diagnosis of dysmenorrhea 5. Yet, data from two large-scale cross-sectional survey studies in Japan suggest the prevalence of dysmenorrhea may actually be higher, as menstrual pain was reported by 50.4%–77.6% of women 6,7…”

Severe anemia from heavy menstrual bleeding requires heightened attention

“…14,15 Women with increased menstrual bleeding experience work loss 16 and are more likely to use health care, 17 resulting in a measurable economic burden. 18 The amount of iron lost per cycle in women with heavy bleeding averages 5e6 times more than in women with average blood loss and results in significant depletion of their iron stores. 19 Iron deficiency produces important clinical problems, including fatigue, atrophic epithelial changes, oral lesions, dysphagia, nail lesions, and reduced immune response.…”