Relationship between premenstrual syndrome and basic personality traits: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Although many studies have investigated premenstrual syndrome and related factors, there is still only a limited number of studies investigating the relationship between premenstrual syndrome and basic personality traits. This study was conducted to investigate the association between premenstrual syndrome and basic personality traits among university students. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional analytical study conducted in a city in western Turkey. METHODS: The Premenstrual Syndrome Scale, the Basic Personality Traits Scale and a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics developed by the present researchers were applied to 490 female students at the College of Health Sciences of a state university. RESULTS: Premenstrual syndrome was more common among students living in rural areas (65.1%), students with chronic diseases (74.1%), students who suffered from menstrual cramps (61.1%), students who used cigarettes (72.1%) and students with alcohol intake (65.5%). In the final model of the logistic regression analysis, presence of pain during the menstrual period increased the risk of presence of PMS by a factor of 1.554 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.033-2.336; P = 0.034) and high scores on the total basic personality traits scale increased it by a factor of 1.016 (95% CI: 1.002-1.030; P = 0.029). The prevalence of premenstrual syndrome was found to be higher among students who were less extrovert (P = 0.007) and less conscientious (P = 0.001); and among students with higher neuroticism (P = 0.000) and negative valance (P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that personality may be associated with premenstrual syndrome.