Prevalence of dysmenorrhea and associated factors and its effect on daily academic activities among female undergraduate students of Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa, Ethiopia

BackgroundDysmenorrhea is pain during menstrual flow and is the most common gynecologic complaint in reproductive-age girls. The severity of dysmenorrhea ranges from mild to severe pain during menstruation, which affects their academic activities.ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of dysmenorrhea and its effects on academic activities among Hawassa University students from April 1–30/2021.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted and a systematic random sampling technique was used to select 348 study participants. Standardized self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain relevant data. The severity of pain was assessed using a verbal multidimensional scoring system and Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) methods. The collected data was entered into Epi info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 21 for analysis and then descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were performed.ResultsThe prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 80% (277). Of those affected by dysmenorrhea, using the verbal multidimensional scoring system, 47.6% (132) were found to have mild pain, 39.7% (110) had moderate pain, and 12.6% (35) had severe pain. However, using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), 21.7% (60) were found to have mild pain, 33.2% (92) had moderate pain, 37.5% (104) had severe pain, and 7.6% (21) had very severe pain. It was found to have a negative effect on academic activity, such as loss of concentration in class (p = 0.00), disruption of study time (p = 0.00), sleep disturbances (p = 0.00), issues in personal relationships (p = 0.00), and absenteeism (p = 0.00). Associated factors included being sexually active, having a family history of dysmenorrhea, and the presence of depression.ConclusionDysmenorrhea is prevalent in this study and has a significant impact on academic activities. Family history of dysmenorrhea, being sexually active, and the presence of depression are associated factors.