Dysmenorrhea among Female Medical Students of Bayero University Kano

Abstract

Niger Delta Journal of Medical Sciences 18

Background: Dysmenorrhea is the occurrence of painful menstruation of sufficient magnitude so

as to incapacitate day-to-day activities and may require medication. It is one of the common

complaints and often debilitating condition that affect women of reproductive age worldwide.

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among female medical

students of Bayero university, Kano as well as to determine the socio-demographic characteristics

and self-management strategies of dysmenorrhea employed by the female medical students.

Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted among female medical students of Bayero

University Kano. Aself-administered questionnaire was used in extracting the data. Researcher met

with students at their free time in the university hostels. The weight of each student was taken by an

electronic personal scale CAMRY MODEL: EB9360 CERTIFIED BY SGS with maximum

capacity of 150 kg. A pre-marked wall centimeter measurement was used to take the height of the

students from the head to the heel.

Results: Two hundred and seventeen (217) medical students were interviewed of which majority of

the respondents 75.6% reported dysmenorrhea. The mean age of the respondents was 21.2 ± 2.29

years. The average age at menarche was 12.8 ± 1.12 years. Most respondents 92.1% were single,

81.6% of the respondents experienced regular menses while 54.8% of respondents had duration of

menstrual flow between 6-8 days.

Conclusion: Dysmenorrhea is a major cause of monthly discomfort among female medical students

in Bayero University Kano, often associated with fatigue and nervousness.