INFLUENCE OF MENSTRUAL-CYCLE PHASE UPON SYMPTOM RECORDING USING DATA FROM HEALTH DIARIES

Data on 151 women aged 20-44 years old who completed health diaries were analysed for the effect of menstrual cycle phase upon symptom recording, taking into account the influence of age, marital status, parity, social class, anxiety level and oral contraceptive practice. Results indicated that (i) Pill-takers reported symptoms more frequently than non pill-takers. (ii) Headache was the most frequently reported symptom in all menstrual phases for both pill-takers and non pill-takers. This was followed by changes in energy, backache, colds and sore throats. (iii) Symptom rates were ranked marginally higher for the menstrual phase than for the other two phases in both pill-takers and non pill-takers. (iv) For pill-takers the difference in symptom rates between the menstruum and the intermenstruum was greatest in the married group and smallest in the widowed, divorced or separated group (p≅0.10). In this same group the difference between menstrual and intermenstrual symptom rates varied significantly with the number of children (p< 0.05). For non pill-takers the difference in symptom rates between the menstrual and intermenstrual phases increased with number of children. © 1979.