Evaluation of the frequency, severity, and effects of dysmenorrhea on occupational life among assistant physicians at ESOGU Faculty of medicine

Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecological symptom in women and it also has psychosocial effects. Although there have been studies on dysmenorrhea among students, there is a lack of sufficient research on the frequency of dysmenorrhea among working women. Therefore, in this study conducted with assistant physicians, we aimed to determine the frequency, severity, and effects on occupational life of dysmenorrhea. The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 165 assistant physicians working at Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine. A questionnaire consisting of questions on sociodemographic and gynecological characteristics was administered face-to-face to the participants. As a result of the study, the frequency of dysmenorrhea among assistant physicians was found to be 95.1%. 66.7% of assistant physicians reported experiencing pain with a severity rating of 6 (significant pain) on the visual analog scale (VAS) for dysmenorrhea. When night shift status and severity of dysmenorrhea were compared; It was observed that the physicians who kept the night shift experienced dysmenorrhea more severely. The most commonly used analgesics by the participants were found to be dexketoprofen (28.4%) and ibuprofen/flurbiprofen (26.8%). It was found that dysmenorrhea severity was higher in participants who consumed alcohol and had a family history of dysmenorrhea. Participants who had menarche at the age of 16 or older had higher dysmenorrhea severity compared to similar studies. 81.2% of the participants stated that dysmenorrhea reduces their quality of life, while only 17% reported taking sick leave due to dysmenorrhea. Considering the findings, dysmenorrhea is a common problem among assistant physicians and when symptoms associated with dysmenorrhea are taken into account, it can lead to negative effects on occupational life and impaired concentration. Key Words: Dysmenorrhea, visual analog scale, assistant physician, quality of life