EVALUATION OF DYSMENORRHEA AMONG WOMEN AND ITS IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN A REGION OF WESTERN TURKEY

Objectives: to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among a group of women and its effect on their quality of life (qol). methodology: this cross-sectional study was carried out on 729 women in reproductive age in a town of western turkey between march and april 2009. the questionnaire form was filled in by a face to face method. the severity of menstrual pain was determined by visual analogue scale. the quality of life (qol) was assessed by the short form-36 (sf-36). the chi-square test, student t test, analysis of variance and logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analyses. a value of p<0.05 was accepted statistically significant. results: the prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 63.6%. not giving birth, menstrual irregularity, and a family history of dysmenorrhea were important risk factors for dysmenorrhea (p<0.05 for each one). the domains of qol was lower in women with dysmenorrhea when compared to women without dysmenorrhea (p<0.05). conclusion: dysmenorrhea is a public health problem that affects quality of life.