Current situation of menstruation and gynecological diseases prevalence among Chinese women: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Gynecological diseases have been taken attention and studied worldwide. Although, no recent studies have delineated the magnitude of gynecological diseases among Chinese women. This study aims to evaluate the current situation of menstruation and gynecological diseases prevalence among Chinese women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a hospital affiliated with Nanjing medical university in Nanjing, China between September 2021 and February 2022. A sample size of 977 women aged 18–52 years participated in a face-to-face interview questionnaire. Logistic regression was performed to determine whether pubertal timing and menstrual characteristics were associated with gynecological diseases. RESULTS: The most prevalent gynecological disease was dysmenorrhea (45.96%), followed by polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS (19.04%), uterine fibroids (14.23%), spontaneous abortion (13.20%), trouble conceiving (12.59%), ovarian dysfunction (11.16%) and endometriosis (4.09%). In the adjusted model, heavy bleeding with large clots was associated with an increased risk of dysmenorrhea (odds ratio, OR = 5.01, 95% Confidence interval, CI 2.26, 11.10; p = 0.000), while history of precocious puberty diagnosis was associated with a reduced risk of dysmenorrhea (OR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.26, 0.94; p = 0.031). Regular menstrual cycle in the past 12 months and regular menstrual periods were associated with decreased risk of PCOS (OR = 0.44, 95%CI 0.30, 0.65; p = 0.000) and (OR = 0.52, 95%CI 0.36, 0.74; p = 0.000), respectively. Histories of early thelarche, early menarche, and precocious puberty diagnosis were associated with increased risk of ovarian dysfunction (OR = 1.96, 95%CI 1.25, 3.08, p = 0.004), (OR = 2.26, 95%CI 1.24, 4.13; p = 0.008) and (OR = 2.79, 95%CI 1.36, 5.74; p = 0.005), respectively. Heavy bleeding and heavy bleeding with large clots were associated with endometriosis (OR = 4.92, 95%CI 1.50, 16.15, p = 0.009) and (OR = 5.67, 95%CI 1.42, 22.56; p = 0.014), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of gynecological diseases is increasing among Chinese women and pubertal timing and menstrual characteristics may be associated with some gynecological diseases, specifically dysmenorrhea, PCOS, ovarian dysfunction, and endometriosis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12905-022-01860-5.