Prevalence, Management, and Impact of Dysmenorrhea on the Lives of Nurse and Midwife Trainees in Northern Ghana

BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecological problem affecting the majority of female students in the nursing profession today. They often experience severe pain that is not only incapacitating but also has a significant impact on their day-to-day college life, academic, and clinical performance. AIM: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence, management, and impact of dysmenorrhea on the lives of nurse and midwife trainees in northern Ghana. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design with a quantitative approach to data collection was employed to collect data from nurse and midwife trainees in three colleges of nursing and/or midwifery in the northern region of Ghana. A proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to recruit 303 respondents for the study. After gaining permission from various institutions, data were collected by using a structured questionnaire from 13(th) September to 28(th) October, 2022. Stata (special edition) for Windows version 17.0 was used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: The study revealed a high prevalence of dysmenorrhea among female nursing students (66.7% and 95% CI: 0.611–0.720). More than half of the respondents (67.3%) experienced loss of appetite for food. The most common site of most intense pain was the pelvis and lower abdomen (98.0%). A greater proportion of students (65.8%) used antispastic drugs to reduce pain. The respondents' concentration in the classroom was greatly affected (77.2%) as well as normal physical activities (58.4%). A multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of dysmenorrhea are 2.67 times higher when the duration of menstruation is 4-5 days (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.13–6.28, and p = 0.024) than a duration of 1–3 days. Having urinary tract infections was associated with 3.56 times higher odds of dysmenorrhea (AOR = 3.56, 95% CI = 0.98–12.86, and p = 0.053). Again, the odds of dysmenorrhea were also four times higher among respondents with a family history of the same condition (AOR = 4.05, 95% CI = 2.16–7.61, and p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The current study revealed a high prevalence of dysmenorrhea among nurse and midwife trainees in the northern part of Ghana. The majority of the respondent experienced loss of appetite and intense pain in the pelvis and lower abdomen, and their concentration during lectures was also significantly affected. The most predominant nonpharmacological method used for reducing the pain was sleep and the application of warm objects on the abdomen.