title: The impact of menstrual cycle-related physical symptoms on daily activities and psychological wellness among adolescent girls.
abstract: Associations between perimenstrual physical and psychological symptoms have not been adequately studied among adolescent girls. The purpose of the present study was to test a mediation hypothesis postulating that perimenstrual disengagement from daily activities would mediate the association between physical symptoms and psychological symptoms. A non-clinical sample of N = 208 Italian adolescent girls (age M = 16.68 years) completed a 95-item online retrospective questionnaire regarding perimenstrual symptoms, and how these symptoms affect their daily activities. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the mediation hypothesis. Results showed that physical and psychological symptoms were strongly associated. More importantly, results supported the hypothesis that perimenstrual disengagement from daily activities mediates the association between physical symptoms and psychological symptoms, but only for depressed mood and cognitive symptoms. This study provides support for a novel theoretical framework linking diverse aspects of menstrual cycle change. Longitudinal research is needed to replicate these findings.
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Postbus 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kirsten C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: van Iersel
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Università Degli Studi di Padova, via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy. Electronic address: jeff.kiesner@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiesner
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Università Degli Studi di Padova, via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Postbus 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ron H J
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Scholte
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000066498:Emotional Adjustment / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescence; Daily activities; Menstrual and premenstrual; Physical; Psychological; Symptoms