Usage of Analgesics among Young Girls and Dysmenorrhea

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine dysmenorrhea prevalence and menstruation characteristics among young girls and whether dysmenorrhea affects the use of analgesics.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in female university students who applied to Baskent University's Medicosocial Center.

Results: There were 190 participants in the dysmenorrhea group and 80 participants in the control group. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 70%. Reading of the drug prospectus in the dysmenorrhea group was higher than in the control group (69.9% vs. 46.8%, p < 0.05). Recommending her own drug to someone else (67.8% versus 53.3%, p < 0.05) and not paying attention to the recommended drug use period (72.5% vs. 59.7%; p < 0.05) was higher in the dysmenorrhea group than in the control group. In the dysmenorrhea group, the reasons to take the last pain relievers were headache or abdominal pain in the same order as the control group and the rate of abdominal pain was higher in the study group (30.0% versus 11.5%, p < 0.05). The inability to remember the name of the last used pain reliever was higher in the study group (24.2% versus 17.5%, p < 0.05). The rate of knowing the name of any three different pain relievers was higher in the study group (81.6% versus 80.4%, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: University students who are in need of medication due to diseases more frequently encounter drugs. Developing behaviors on rational drug use in these students may provide productive results. It may be effective to organize contact meetings for students on the use of non-prescription drugs.