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Khlood Mohammad Aldossary^*✉

1. Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, 11671 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2. Department of Pharmacy, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 11671 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Students cannot learn about the physiological state of their bodies if there is no free conversation about it. To fill up the knowledge gaps about Premenstrual syndrome [PMS], we performed this study among Foundation Year Students at Princess Nourah University to ascertain awareness and attitude toward PMS and to evaluate their understanding of various coping mechanisms during PMS. We conducted a cross-sectional study by sending out an online questionnaire to students. In total, 99 students agreed to take part in the survey and filled out the questionnaire. We performed analysis using Excel software and generated frequencies and proportions for the categorical variables such as age, marital status, knowledge, and attitudes of the students about premenstrual syndrome.

About a quarter of the students [23.2%] had not heard about PMS before and 63.6% of the students had not been diagnosed with PMS before. 27.3% of the students felt hesitant in discussing or talking about PMS with their family members. About 55.6% of the students reported having skin problems, like Acne, 48.5% reported backache, and 46.5% had cramps. About 40.4% of the students reported that they use hot packs, one-third [37.4%] reported taking painkillers or medications, and 22.2% reported exercising to cope with PMS. Although students' general knowledge of the PMS was reasonable, one-fourth of them still need access to materials that can increase their understanding and provide them with a forum to discuss it openly. Additionally, students had a favorable view regarding PMS, indicating it is a worthwhile topic for college students‎.

Keywords: Premenstrual syndrome, Knowledge, Attitude, University students

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