Knowledge and Practice toward Dysmenorrhea in Female Students of Guilan University of Medical Science

Background: Understanding the knowledge and performance status of young girls regarding dysmenorrhea can be an initial step towards the future health planning for this group. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and practice of female students about dysmenorrhea. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 315 female students were randomly selected. Data collection form included two parts. The first part consisted of questions regarding demographic characteristics and field of study, and the second part was knowledge and practice questionnaire. The scores were compared in terms of study variable. Results: Prevalence rate of dysmenorrhea was 75.2% and the most frequent symptoms was aggression and anger (49.3%). Of total, 15.6% had good knowledge. The level of knowledge was significantly associated with field of study and dysmenorrhea. The midwifery students had the highest mean level of knowledge. The mean score of knowledge in students who had experienced dysmenorrhea was higher than girls who had not experienced dysmenorrhea (P-value = 0.031). There were no significant differences of practice scores in terms of study variable. Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of dysmenorrhea during menstrual period among female students. However, the study subjects had insufficient knowledge and moderate practice to reduce menstrual pain. It is recommended that more counseling education to be extended for female students to help them cope with the dysmenorrhea.