Prevalence of Primary Dysmenorrhea among Secondary School Students and Its Treatment Modalities in Fayed City

Abstract

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is a common problem of adolescent girls. It has a high prevalence in Egypt so it is important to evaluate the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and the treatment modalities used to alleviate it. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea and its treatment modalities. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 95 students at four secondary schools in Fayed city from October to November 2017. Data were collected using a predesigned self-administered questionnaire and pain severity was measured by NRS. Results: The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea was (62%) and most of them had moderate pain (74.6%). There was a low rate of doctor consultation (11.9%). Also, 67.8% of students took Analgesics and 40.7% used complementary (hot water bottles, abdominal massage and hot herbal fluids) to alleviate menstrual pain. Conclusion: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was high among female students in Fayed city and most of them used over the counter (OTC), analgesics and complementary methods to alleviate pain. Dysmenorrhea is strongly associated with some bad habits. It is important to spread awareness about the causes and treatment of dysmenorrhea to avoid undue sufferings.

Strategies for handling dysmenorrhea in adolescents

“…The most commonly chosen analgesics are those containing using ibuprofen, drotaverine, and paracetamol. Most of the study participants stated that they were satisfied with the pharmacotherapy effect (Tataj-Puzyna et al, 2021); (Ameade et al, 2018); (Ore & Ogundeko, 2021); (Owonaro et al, 2021); (Saka et al, 2018); (Kamel et al, 2017); (Karout et al, 2021); (Vlachou et al, 2019); (Gebeyehu et al, 2017); (Abdel-Sattar, 2018); (Söderman et al, 2019). One study showed that most respondents (86.14%) used prescription analgesics and over-the-counter medications.…”