ANALYSIS OF STRESS-INDUCED EFFECTS ON MENSTRUAL DYSFUNCTION IN WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/24116-4944.2025.2.15792Keywords:
COVID-19, stress-induced, menstrual cycle, correlation, parametersAbstract
The aim of the study – to determine the nature and strength of the correlation between the level of COVID-19-related psychological stress and menstrual cycle parameters in women of reproductive age.
Materials and Methods. The observational study was conducted in the form of a questionnaire developed by us: "Impact of COVID-19-related stress on the menstrual cycle." The mental health status of women was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The next step involved determination of the presence of correlation relationships between the stress-inducing factor and deviations from normal menstrual cycle parameters, which was performed using Statistica 10 software.
Results and Discussion. The study involved 550 reproductive-age patients. The processing of correlation analysis results revealed different degrees of strong positive correlation between all menstrual cycle parameters and stress. Stress predominantly influences menstrual blood volume: the need to replace sanitary products at night during menstruation (GC = 1.00) and the presence of blood clots >1 cm in menstrual discharge (GC = 0.99), as well as the regularity of the menstrual cycle (GC = 0.98). The stress-inducing factor has the least impact on the parameter of menstrual cycle frequency (SROC = 0.77).
Conclusions. Elevated levels of psychological stress correlate with a higher degree of menstrual changes. Future research on stress-induced menstrual disturbances and the long-term consequences of these changes is necessary.
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