Does psychosocial stress influence menstrual abnormalities in medical students?

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 164 students in a medical school in Pondicherry, India, by administering a questionnaire consisting of anthropometric data, menstrual history and psychosocial stress. Psychosocial stress was assessed using Perceived Stress Scale (PSS10). We observed that out of the 164 students who answered the questionnaire, students who reported premenstrual symptoms, irregular cycles and dysmenorrhoea severe enough to take medication had significantly higher mean PSS scores (p = 0.000, 0.025, 0.035, respectively). High stress (fourth quartile PSS score) was significantly associated with occurrence of premenstrual symptoms and dysmenorrhoea severe enough to take medication. Stress in medical students is associated with severe dysmenorrhoea, irregular cycles and premenstrual syndrome. This implies that interventions to reduce the stress can improve the menstrual health of medical students, thereby reducing future health risks and improving the quality of life.