Menstrual health is related to economic situation and self-perceived health

A study led by IDIAPJGol researchers, published in BMC Women's Health, concludes that women and people who menstruate with a low educational level, fewer economic resources and a poorer perception of their own health are more likely to experience heavy bleeding and pain during the period

The odds of experiencing heavy bleeding and moderate and high pain during menstruation are higher among women and other menstruating people who have lower educational levels, fewer economic resources, and poorer self-rated health. This is the conclusion of a study recently published in the journal BMC Women's Health, led by researchers from the Institut d’Investigació en Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol (IDIAPJGol).

The work aims to understand how menstrual patterns can differ depending on various factors of social inequality and how social stressors can affect menstrual health. Researchers have analysed data from nearly 20,000 women and other people who menstruate, between 18 and 55 years old, residing in Spain. This is one of the first studies of this type carried out in our country on menstrual health patterns.

Informal care

The authors of the study have also detected that people who carry out activities related to informal care are more likely to suffer from greater menstrual flow and have longer periods. This result is consistent with the evidence from other studies that link informal caregiving with worse health status.

However, the work coordinated by the IDIAPJGol has identified that dedicating to the care of other people is a protective factor against moderate and intense pain and the appearance of premenstrual symptoms. The researchers highlight that this finding could be explained by the age of the women who participated in the study dedicated to informal care and by the challenges of identifying and validating their experiences of discomfort, especially when they take on care tasks. In any case, they point out that new research with a gender perspective will be necessary to address “the complex intersections between care work and menstrual health.”

The main researcher of the study, Laura Medina-Perucha, from the IDIAPJGol Transversal Research Unit, highlights that “menstrual inequalities must be addressed in public policies and consider menstrual health as a public health problem.” The team that carried out the study also calls for more training and resources so that health professionals can address menstrual health considering social inequalities.

Reference of the study

Medina-Perucha L, López-Jiménez T, Pujolar-Díaz G, Martínez-Bueno C, Munrós-Feliu J, Valls-Llobet C, Jacques-Aviñó C, Holst AS, Pinzón-Sanabria D, Vicente-Hernández MM, García-Egea A, Berenguera A. Menstrual characteristics and associations with sociodemographic factors and self-rated health in Spain: a cross-sectional study. BMC Womens Health. 2024 Feb 3;24(1):88. doi: 10.1186/s12905-023-02840-z. PMID: 38310222Yoseba Cánovas, metge de l’Equip d’Atenció Primària Passeig de Sant Joan, de l’Institut Català de la Salut i investigador de l’IDIAPJGol, afirma que els resultats de la investigació indiquen que “la regulació de l’ús dels dispositius mòbils a les consultes d’atenció primària ajudaria a reduir les interrupcions durant les visites i a millorar la qualitat assistencial.”