Table 2.
Dysmenorrhea symptoms and treatment among the study sample (n = 104).
| n (%) or mean (±SD) | |
|---|---|
| Had dysmenorrhea ever: yesa | 103 (100%) |
| Age of first menstrual period: range = 8–17b | 12.1 (±1.4) |
| Age of dysmenorrhea onset: range = 8–45c | 13.7 (±4.7) |
| With 1st/2nd period | 59 (57.3%) |
| ≤1 year after 1st period | 28 (27.2%) |
| ≤5 years after 1st period | 9 (8.7%) |
| >5 years after 1st period | 7 (6.8%) |
| Missingd | 1 |
| Frequency of dysmenorrhea | |
| During every period | 73 (70.9%) |
| During most of periods | 15 (14.6%) |
| During some periods | 9 (8.7%) |
| Seldom or rarely | 6 (5.8%) |
| Missing | 1 |
| When dysmenorrhea usually started | |
| The day period started | 35 (34.0%) |
| 1–2 days before the period | 49 (47.6%) |
| 3 or more days before the period | 19 (18.4%) |
| Missing | 1 |
| Usual duration of dysmenorrhea | |
| 1–2 days | 33 (32.0%) |
| 3–4 days | 38 (36.9%) |
| ≥5 days | 32 (31.1%) |
| Missing | 1 |
| Intensity of dysmenorrhea without medication | |
| Mild | 15 (14.6%) |
| Moderate | 26 (25.2%) |
| Severe | 57 (55.3%) |
| Worst pain imaginable | 5 (4.9%) |
| Missing | 1 |
| Linear score for intensity (1–4) | 2.5 (±0.8) |
| Ever sought treatment specifically for dysmenorrhea | 46 (44.2%) |
| Management history of dysmenorrhea | |
| OTC (Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Aspirin, Tylenol) | 97 (93.3%) |
| Heating pad | 82 (78.8%) |
| Hormonal treatment (any) | 55 (52.9%) |
| Birth control pills, patch, ring | 55 (52.9%) |
| Progesterone only pills | 11 (10.6%) |
| Depo Provera | 10 (9.6%) |
| Implant | 4 (3.8%) |
| Progestin IUD | 11 (10.6%) |
| Prescription gabapentin, muscle relaxants, or NSAIDs | 18 (17.3%) |
| Prescription opioid pain medications | 9 (8.7%) |
| Marijuana | 11 (10.6%) |
| TENS | 4 (3.8%) |
| Surgical interventions (spinal manipulation, laparoscopy) | 10 (9.6%) |
| Complementary medicine (fish oil, acupuncture, yoga) | 15 (14.4%) |
SD, standard deviation; OTC, over-the-counter; IUD, intrauterine device; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; TENS, transcutaneous electrical nerve ablation.
a
One participant did not report whether she had dysmenorrhea.
b
Age of first menstrual period was missing for 2 participants.
c
Age of dysmenorrhea onset was missing for 2 participants.
d
Percentages were calculated for non-missing values.