Table 2.
Dysmenorrhea, uses of pain medications, and types of cold exposures across different racial groups.
| White (n = 148) | Asian (n = 197) | Other Races (n = 74) | p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dysmenorrhea level (N, %) | ||||
| No pain (score 0 to <2) | 19 (12) | 38 (19) | 19 (26) | |
| Mild pain (score 2 to <4) | 31 (20) | 62 (32) | 19 (26) | |
| Moderate pain (score 4 to <8) | 78 (50) | 79 (40) | 28 (37) | |
| Severe pain score (score 8 to 10) | 20 (13) | 18 (13) | 8 (11) | 0.03 |
| Medication (N, %) | ||||
| Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol, Panadol) | 97 (66) | 118 (60) | 52 (70) | 0.24 |
| Anti-inflammatory pain reliever (e.g., Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin) | 121 (82) | 136 (69) | 58 (78) | 0.02 |
| Frequency of drinking cold water/drinks during menstrual period | ||||
| Never or rarely | 57 (39) | 112 (57) | 26 (35) | |
| Sometimes | 52 (35) | 42 (21) | 30 (40) | |
| Often or always | 39 (26) | 43 (22) | 18 (25) | 0.004 |
| Habits of drinking ‘cold water or drinks’ * in winter | ||||
| (Cold water > 5 times/d or cold drinks > 4 times/d in winter) | ||||
| No | 50 (34) | 100 (51) | 25 (34) | |
| Yes | 98 (66) | 97 (49) | 49 (66) | 0.002 |
| Frequency of ice cream consumption in winter | ||||
| Never | 75 (51) | 75 (38) | 27 (36) | |
| 1–3 times/month | 39 (26) | 74 (38) | 23 (31) | |
| 1 time/week | 18 (12) | 27 (14) | 12 (16) | |
| More than 3 times/week | 16 (11) | 21 (10) | 12 (17) | 0.06 |
| Home room temperature < 70 °F in winter | ||||
| Yes | 77 (52) | 90 (46) | 35 (47) | |
| No | 71 (48) | 107 (54) | 39 (53) | 0.5 |
| Wear more clothes than others | ||||
| No or rarely | 57 (38) | 81 (40) | 35 (48) | |
| Sometimes | 50 (34) | 70 (36) | 23 (31) | |
| Often or always | 41 (28) | 46 (24) | 16 (21) | 0.68 |
| Wear thermal pants during cold months | ||||
| No or rarely | 103 (68) | 132 (67) | 45 (61) | |
| Sometimes | 24 (16) | 31 (16) | 14 (19) | |
| Often or always | 21 (14) | 34 (17) | 15 (20) | 0.52 |
Data in each column are presented in N (%). * ‘Cold water or drinks’ refers to the water or beverages that are close to 4 °C (iced) or have just been taken out of refrigerators before consumption. Bolded p-values are usually marginally (p ≤ 0.10) and statistically significant (p < 0.05).