Investigation of the relationship between the level of coping with premenstrual symptoms and the quality of life in university students

The goal of this descriptive and cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between the level of coping with premenstrual symptoms and the quality of life in university students. The research was carried out between December 20, 2022, and May 15, 2023. The sample was 287 students who were enrolled in the Nursing Department at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University. The Inclusion Criteria Form, Personal Information Form, Premenstrual Coping Measure Scale (PMCM), and SF-36 Quality of Life Scale (SF-36) were used to collect the data. The study showed that out of the total participants (n = 287), the majority (87.2%) experienced dysmenorrhea and had not received any counseling to manage premenstrual symptoms. Furthermore, 87.2% of students Analysis of the PMCM indicated that the mean score for the "Acceptance and Awareness of Premenstrual Changes" sub-dimension decreased as age and grade level increased (p<0.001). Also, the "Self-care" sub-dimension score was lower among smokers than non-smokers (p<0.05). Analyzing PMCM mean scores based on menstrual characteristics showed that the "Adjusting Energy" sub-dimension score was higher for students with a menstrual age of 14 years and above, as well as for those who experiencing dysmenorrhea (p<0.05). Regarding the relationship between PMCM mean scores and SF-36, a very weak positive correlation was found between the "Avoiding Harm" sub-dimension of PMCM and the "Physical Function" sub-dimension of SF-36. Conversely, a very weak negative correlation existed between the "Physical Role Difficulty" and "Emotional Role Difficulty" sub-dimensions (p<0.05). As the result, it was concluded that as the ability to cope with premenstrual symptoms improved, the students' quality of life also increased.