PATTERNS OF MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES AND DYSMENORRHEA AMONG THE FEMALE GENERAL POPULATION IN TABUK-SAUDI ARABIA. A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Introduction: Menstrual irregularities and dysmenorrhea are both considered public health problems. They cause economic loss as regards healthcare costs due to consuming overpriced hormonal drugs and laboratory tests, in addition to the consequences of not attending work or school. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was implemented among females in Saudi Arabia. A pre-designed self-administrated questionnaire was published online to collect data. Results: Out of the 933 women included in the study, over half of the participants (51.6%) aged from (19-29 years). Approximately, half of them (50.8%) were married and most of them inhabited urban areas (89.4%). The age of menarche was from (12-14 years) in 43.3% of them. The prevalence of menstrual irregularities and dysmenorrhea was (25.1%) and (89.5%), respectively. We found a significant association between age (P=0.00) and marital status (P=0.00) and dysmenorrhea. The duration of menstrual bleeding was significantly associated with menstrual irregularities (P=0.000). Conclusion: This study interpreted a high prevalence of dysmenorrhea and a relatively low prevalence of menstrual irregularities among Saudi women. There was a lack of concern regarding consulting physicians for dysmenorrhea. We found that the longer duration of bleeding may cause more irregularities. We also noticed that younger women suffered dysmenorrhea at a higher rate than older ones.