Premenstrual Syndrome and Work Among Female Academic Teaching Staff in Agovernmental Faculty of Medicine in Egypt

Abstract

Introduction: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects many women during their work life. PMS in working' Egyptian women, however, are less well researched. Aim of work: To determine the prevalence of PMS in a sample of academic female teaching staff in Zagazig University and explore PMS in the work context. Materials and methods: One hundred and eighty six academic female from Zagazig University (mean age=30.74 years) participated in a comparative cross-sectional study involving a semistructured interview and completing prospective premenstrual symptom questionnaire between April and December 2015. Results: The results showed a high prevalence rate (66%, n=122) had PMS. Student's t-tests, chi-square tests were used to examine group differences and multiple regression analyses to explore relationships between background variables and PMS symptom types (behavioral, physical, and psychological) and work outcomes of interest (job performance, work capacity, coping with work, and whether work made symptoms worse). Compared to staff without PMS, women with PMS experienced greater impaired work capacity, job performance, and perceived work to exacerbate their PMS symptoms. Conclusion: This study showed that PMS is highly prevalent among female academic teaching staff in Zagazig University and is more likely to show greater perceptions of impaired work capacity, performance, as well as perceiving work to make symptoms worse.

Premenstrual Syndrome’s Impact on Work-Related Quality of Life Among Jordanian Nurses

“…PMS detrimentally affects an individual's quality of life. It has been shown to have an impact on all aspects of a woman's life, including daily activity, social life, study, and work productivity [ 3 , 8 , 19 ]. Our findings back up what others have discovered.…”

“…A key aspect of PMS is that the timing and intensity of the symptoms may be severe enough to interfere with regular daily activities. [ 3 ].…”

“…According to epidemiological studies, up to 80% of women can experience a variety of irritating PMS symptoms [ 1 ]. Moreover, there are more than 200 related symptoms of PMS [ 3 ] that vary from psychological to behavioral to physical, including headache, mastalgia, bloating, backache, mood changes, anxiety, anger, irritability, lack of interest, change in sleep pattern, change in appetite, and several more symptoms [ 1 , 4 ].…”

“…PMS can have a negative impact on physical activities and social life, as well as interfere with personal relationships and work performance, lowering the overall quality of life [ 8 ]. Many studies have found that moderate-to-severe PMS symptoms can have a negative impact on women's work performance through increased absence and lower productivity, resulting in a decrease in women's quality of life [ 3 ]. Previous research defined work-related quality of life for working women as an employee's perception of physical and mental aspects of their working circumstances and factors related to the work environment [ 9 ].…”

The impact of premenstrual disorders on work disruptions among working women: A cross-sectional study

“…A survey of 264 females involved in academic teaching showed that the effect of premenstrual symptoms on work capacity, worsening by severity of symptoms at work, and job performance was significantly different between PMS and non-PMS women. Even 50% of the subjects found that their relationship with their colleagues was disturbed due to premenstrual symptoms (13). A study of 134 nurses in Turkey found that nurses with PMS had International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine PMS and women's work performance a significantly lower work-related quality of life (3).…”