title: Perimenstrual symptoms and working conditions among hospital workers in Quebec.
abstract: Perimenstrual symptoms are among the most common disorders of women. Seven perimenstrual symptoms were related to working conditions among 539 hospital workers in a retrospective cohort questionnaire study, as part of a larger examination of health problems and working conditions of Quebec hospital workers. Only 8% of women had experienced no symptoms of discomfort associated with their last menstrual period. Lower abdominal pain, the most common symptom (58% prevalence), was associated with lifting weights (usually patients) in a logistic regression adjusted for parity and contraceptive use. Back pain, leg pain, swelling, and headache were associated with indicators of time pressure and fast work speed. Back pain during menstruation was experienced by 44% of workers. Studies of the prevalence and etiology of back pain, a common occupational health problem among hospital workers, may be confused if perimenstrual back pain is not taken into account. Similar reservations hold for the results on other perimenstrual symptoms that are also likely to occur outside the perimenstrual period, such as leg pain, irritability, and headache.
authors.affiliation: Centre pour l'Etude des Interactions Biologiques Entre la Santé et l'Environnement, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tissot
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Messing
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008599:Menstruation Disturbances / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011792:Quebec; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012924:Social Conditions; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014931:Women, Working; D016526:Workload