ArticleBMJ open2019
Productivity loss due to menstruation-related symptoms: a nationwide cross-sectional survey among 32 748 women.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 122 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
122 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Self-management strategies for menstrual cycle symptoms: a systematic review.BMC women's health · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence of menstrual disturbances and associated factors among female medical students in Southeast Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC women's health · 2026Pooled it
- Menstrual disorders following COVID-19 vaccination: a review using a systematic search.Frontiers in drug safety and regulation · 2024Pooled it
- The impact of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- A systematic review of the menstrual experiences of university students and the impacts on their education: A global perspective.PloS one · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The effects of progressive muscle relaxation exercises on premenstrual syndrome symptoms and violence tendencies in women: a randomized controlled trial.BMC women's health · 2025Trial
- Efficacy of the Flo App in Improving Health Literacy, Menstrual and General Health, and Well-Being in Women: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Trial
- Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial: Comparative Efficacy of Dark Chocolate, Coconut Water, and Ibuprofen in Managing Primary Dysmenorrhea.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Trial
- The role of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for menstrual pain relief: A randomized control trial.Women's health (London, England)Trial
- Socioenvironmental factors associated with the severity of menopausal symptoms in perimenopausal Japanese women.Menopause (New York, N.Y.) · 2026Article
- Work-Related Quality of Life and Health Issues Among United States Anesthesiologists: Results of a National Survey.Mayo Clinic proceedings. Innovations, quality & outcomes · 2026Article
- Menstrual health and health-related quality of life in Spain: a multicenter cross-sectional study.Reproductive health · 2026Observational
- Dysmenorrhea patients' experience with work productivity impact and treatment in Japan.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- Prevalence, diagnosis, and management of dysmenorrhea among Polish women: a cross-sectional study.Przeglad menopauzalny = Menopause review · 2026Article
- Financial burden of menstrual and menopausal symptoms: productivity loss from absenteeism and presenteeism among working-age women.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- WASH facility adequacy and school attendance during menstruation among secondary school girls in Nasarawa West, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- A persistent diagnostic gap: awareness and workup of bleeding disorders in heavy menstrual bleeding among Dutch gynecologists and hematologists.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- A novel transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation electrode configuration for treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding: an open-label trial.Bioelectronic medicine · 2026Article
62 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate age-dependent productivity loss caused by menstruation-related symptoms, measured in absenteeism (time away from work or school) and presenteeism (productivity loss while present at work or school).
methodsDesign/setting: internet-based, cross-sectional survey conducted in the Netherlands from July to October 2017.
participants32 748 women aged 15-45 years, recruited through social media. OUTCOME MEASURES: self-reported lost productivity in days, divided into absenteeism and presenteeism; impact of menstrual symptoms; reasons women give when calling in sick; and women's preferences regarding the implications of menstruation-related symptoms for schools and workplaces.
resultsA total of 13.8% (n=4514) of all women reported absenteeism during their menstrual periods with 3.4% (n=1108) reporting absenteeism every or almost every menstrual cycle. The mean absenteeism related to a woman's period was 1.3 days per year. A total of 80.7% (n=26 438) of the respondents reported presenteeism and decreased productivity a mean of 23.2 days per year. An average productivity loss of 33% resulted in a mean of 8.9 days of total lost productivity per year due to presenteeism. Women under 21 years were more likely to report absenteeism due to menstruation-related symptoms (OR 3.3, 95% CI 3.1 to 3.6). When women called in sick due to their periods, only 20.1% (n=908) told their employer or school that their absence was due to menstrual complaints. Notably, 67.7% (n=22 154) of the participants wished they had greater flexibility in their tasks and working hours at work or school during their periods.
conclusionsMenstruation-related symptoms cause a great deal of lost productivity, and presenteeism is a bigger contributor to this than absenteeism. There is an urgent need for more focus on the impact of these symptoms, especially in women aged under 21 years, for discussions of treatment options with women of all ages and, ideally, more flexibility for women who work or go to school.
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