Effect of Sociodemographic Factors on the Pattern of Menstrual Cycle

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate of the effect of age of menarche, BMI, physical activity on the length and regularity of menstruation cycle.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was done at gynae and OBS department of Isra University Hospital, Hyderabad. All female students of Isra University Hospital regardless of their year of graduation or post-graduation who agreed for giving their past personal history related to menstrual pattern between the ages of 17-32 years were included. Subjects were evaluated for their age on the basis of date of birth written on their registration forms of the University, BMI by measuring height in standing position and weight in kilograms, age of menarche from their past personal history and activity perform per day on proforma and analyzed by employing SPSS-26.0.

Results: The mean length of menstrual cycle was 26.4±3.12 days. Out of 185 girls, 52 (28.1%) has reported the length of their menstrual cycle <25 days, 19 (10.3%) had a long menstrual cycle pattern >30 days and 114 (61.6%) girls had normal (26-29 days) menstrual cycle pattern for last six months. Menstrual cycle pattern was statistically insignificant according to age and BMI (p=>0.05), while it was statistically significant according to age of menarche and physical activity (p = <0.05).

Conclusion: The study's findings indicate a concerning prevalence of irregular menstrual cycles among medical university students. This information is eye-opening because irregular menstrual cycles can be a sign of underlying health issues and can impact a person's reproductive and overall health.