Abstract 2

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is the leading cause of short-term school absenteeism and has a negative impact on the daily activities of adolescent females. The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea has not been described in Hispanic females. Objectives: To determine among Hispanic females: 1) prevalence, severity, morbidity and 2) treatment options for primary dysmenorrhea. Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was conducted at a local high school. The participants, 742 females in grades nine through twelve, were administered a 31-item questionnaire in both English and Spanish. Menstrual pain severity was measured using a visual analogue scale. Results: Of all the participants, 706 (95%) were Hispanic and 85% of these subjects reported primary dysmenorrhea. Among the Hispanic females with primary dysmenorrhea, 27% reported the pain as mild, 32% as moderate and 41% as severe. Overall, 38% of those with primary dysmenorrhea reported missing school in the past 3 months and the absenteeism rate varied significantly by pain severity (mild=20%, moderate=33%, severe=52%) p< .001. The symptoms other than pain included fatigue (67%), dizziness (28%), backache (56%), headache (58%) and vomiting (12%). The dysmenorrheic symptoms affected the following areas: concentration (59%), school participation (50%), test taking (35%), home work (35%), sports participation (50%) and grades (29%). Of those with primary dysmenorrhea, 15% had seen a physician for this problem, 34% did not believe a physican could help and 34% were uncertain. Treatments used among this group included medication (49%), rest (57%), tea (20%), herbs (7%), and exercise (14%). There was a significant similarity between the treatments used by the participants and their mothers, p< .001. Conclusion: This study indicates that primary dysmenorrhea is common and causes severe disruption to the lives of Hispanic adolescent females. Hispanic females need further education about the treatment options for primary dysmenorrhea in order to alleviate the existing health and school limitations caused by this problem.