Effect Of a Gym Ball Exercise Program on Dysmenorrhea in Nursing Students of a Selected College in Mangaluru, India: A Quasi-experimental Study

Abstract

Introduction: Dysmenorrhoea is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism among adolescent girls. Many women have menstrual cramps before and during their menstrual periods. For some women, the discomfort is merely annoying. Methods used to relieve dysmenorrhea include; exercise, a healthy diet, and yoga. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effect of a gym ball exercise program on dysmenorrhea in nursing students from a selected college in Mangaluru, India. Materials and Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study on 52 eligible nursing students (26 in the exercise group and 26 in the control group). A pre-test assessment was done in both groups to assess the level of dysmenorrhea by using the numerical pain rating scale. The gym ball exercise was performed in the exercise group for 3 weeks prior to their predicted menstrual date, three times a week, each for 45 minutes. The post-test assessment was done on the first day of their menstruation and followed up one month later to assess the sustainability of the effect of the exercise. To analyze the data, inferential statistics, including chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used. Results: The participants had moderate to severe pain. They had regular menstrual cycles lasting for 28-30 days, with a menstrual duration of 3-6 days, and moderate bleeding. The level of dysmenorrhea in the exercise group was lower (2.69±1.15) than in the control group (4.77±1.75) in the post-test phase. The mean level of dysmenorrhoea in the follow-up phase was 3.08±1.74 and 4.35±1.79 in the exercise and control groups, respectively. A significant difference was found between pre-test and follow-up pain scores (P=0.001) and between post-test and follow-up pain scores (P=0.001). Mann-Whitney U test results showed a significant difference between the two groups in the post-test (P=0.001) and follow-up phases (P=0.001). Conclusion: The four-week gym ball exercise program is effective in reducing the intensity of dysmenorrhea in nursing students.