SynthesisPloS one2019
Self-care strategies and sources of knowledge on menstruation in 12,526 young women with dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 78 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effect of a Semi-Presence Yoga Program, With Virtual Tutorized Home Tracking, on Dysmenorrhea in University Students: Randomized an Controlled Clinical Trial Protocol.
Effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence Supported Mobile Education Compared With Face-to-Face and Brochure-Based Education on Dysmenorrhea Self-Care and Genital Hygiene Behaviors in Adolescent Girls: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
78 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 175 citations in OpenAlex.
- What is known about adolescent dysmenorrhoea in (and for) community health settings?Frontiers in reproductive health · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture and or Moxibustion for Managing Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Clinical nursing research · 2022Pooled it
- Adolescent Menstrual Health Literacy in Low, Middle and High-Income Countries: A Narrative Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Dangguijagyag-san for primary dysmenorrhea: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials.Medicine · 2020Pooled it
- Exercise for dysmenorrhoea.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Menstrual Pain Management, School Absenteeism and Educational Performance Among Adolescent Students: Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Analysis Nested Within a Cluster Randomised Trial.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2026Trial
- 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
- The Effect of Aviva Exercise Intervention on Pain Level and Body Awareness in Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Trial
- Adjuvant use of melatonin for pain management in dysmenorrhea - a randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2022Trial
- Beliefs and Experiences of People in Australia Living With Chronic Pelvic Pain, and Associations Between Their Illness Perceptions and Pain.The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology · 2026Article
- Menstrual-Related Symptoms, Early Menarche, and Their Impact on Sport Participation in Adolescent Floorball Players: A Cross-Sectional Study in Sweden.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Traditional Chinese Medical Care Application Patterns Among Nurses With Menstrual Symptoms: A Q Methodology Investigation.Nursing open · 2026Article
- Self-reported menstrual-related physical and psychological symptoms and health-seeking behaviour among rural school-going adolescent girls in Bangladesh.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- Physical agents' level in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A cross-sectional observational study.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Observational
- Awareness of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, attitudes toward premenstrual symptoms, and probability of suspected premenstrual dysphoric disorder among Japanese university students.PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2026Article
- Herbal medicine as a complementary therapy for dysmenorrhea: effects on pain and reduction of analgesic use.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- "Frontiers in global women's health · 2026Article
- Efficacy of ginger and fennel in relieving primary dysmenorrhea: A triple-blind crossover controlled trial.Journal of education and health promotion · 2026Article
- Severe menstrual pain is not normal: adolescent dysmenorrhoea as a marker of future chronic pain.Revista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetricia : revista da Federacao Brasileira das Sociedades de Ginecologia e Obstetricia · 2026Article
- Holistic approach to dysmenorrhea management: Integrating pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for improved women's health in the Middle East and Africa.BMC women's health · 2025Review
18 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionDysmenorrhea (period pain) is common and affects around three quarters of all young women under the age of 25. The majority of young women, for a variety of reasons, think of period pain as 'normal' and something to be managed or endured. This normalisation of pain often is reinforced by family and friends and results in young women using self-care strategies to manage their pain rather than seeking medical advice. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined observational studies reporting on the prevalence of different types of self-care, both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical, self-rated effectiveness of self-care and the sources of information on menstruation in young women under 25 Methods: A search of Medline, PsychINFO, EMBASE and CINAHL in English was carried out from 1980 to December 2018. Studies that reported on menstrual self-care strategies in young women were included.
resultsNine hundred and forty-seven articles were screened. Twenty-four studies including 12,526 young women were eligible and included in the meta-analysis. Fifteen studies were from low, lower-middle or upper-middle-income countries (LMIC) and nine studies were from high income countries (HIC). Self-care was used by over half of all young women (55%, 95%CI 34.1-74.3) with both pharmaceutical (48%, 95%CI 40.0-57.0) and non-pharmaceutical (51.8%, 95%CI 31.3-71.7) options used. Paracetamol was the most common analgesic used (28.7%, 95%CI 19.6-39.9) but did not always provide sufficient pain relief in almost half of those using it. Contraceptive use was significantly higher (P<0.001) in HIC (22%) compared to LMIC (1%). Only 11% (95%CI 8.4-15.2) of young women reported seeing a medical doctor for their period pain.
conclusionsSelf-care usage, both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical, was common, but young women were not necessarily choosing the most effective options for pain management. High-quality information on self-care for period pain is urgently needed.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.