A Survey of Menstruation Pattern and Prevalence of Dysmenorrhea in Ardabil Second High School Students

Background and Objectives: Menarche is an important issue for teenagers and dysmenorrhea is a common problem in adolescence. This study aimed to determine the menstruation pattern and prevalence of dysmenorrhea in second high school students in the city of Ardabil. Methods: This research was a cross-sectional study. The study population included all second high school girls in districts one and two of Ardabil in 1394. A sample of 1,600 girls was selected by a two-stage cluster sampling method from 5 schools in district one and 7 schools in district two. A researcher- made questionnaire and a visual analogue scale were used for data collection. Results: According to the results, the mean age at the first menstruation was 12.88 years. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 91.9% (95% CI: %90 - %92). Dysmenorrhea was severe in 25% of the girls. The pattern of menstrual characteristics in students showed that 61.2%, 88%, and 93.2% had regular menstrual cycles, normal menstrual bleeding days, and normal duration of the menstrual cycle, respectively. In this research, 84.8% of the girls stated that their activities were affected by menstruation and 29.7% of the girls were absent due to menstrual pain. Conclusion: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea is high. It is a common problem in adolescent girls which affects their activities and school attendance. Therefore, it is necessary to educate students regarding menstrual hygiene, and menarche pain control methods.