Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31537555›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2019

Primary dysmenorrhea and self-care strategies among Chinese college girls: a cross-sectional study.

Ling Chen, Lu Tang, Shengyu Guo, Atipatsa Chiwanda Kaminga, Huilan Xu

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

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 38 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
38citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
11.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

38 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 90 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  5. 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 · 2026
    Observational
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  17. Cold Exposures in Relation to Dysmenorrhea among Asian and White Women.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ling ChenDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Lu TangDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Shengyu GuoDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Atipatsa Chiwanda KamingaDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Huilan XuDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China xhl6363@126.com.
Central South University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo explore the prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea (PD), the characteristics of PD and self-care strategies for managing PD among Chinese college girls.

designCross-sectional study.

settingChangsha, China.

participantsA total of 2555 college girls were recruited using multistage cluster random sampling. OUTCOME MEASURES: A self-report questionnaire was used to measure sociodemographic information, characteristics of PD and self-care strategies for managing PD. Additionally, a Visual Analogue Scale was used to measure pain severity.

resultsOf the 2555 girls, 1306 had experienced PD, representing a 51.1% prevalence. In addition, the prevalence rates of mild, moderate and severe pain in PD were 18.1%, 27.7% and 5.4%, respectively. The most common symptoms associated with PD were cramps (96.9%), weakness (70.0%), backache (65.1%), facial blemishes (55.3%) and irritability (55.3%). Commonly used self-care strategies for managing PD comprised reducing physical activity (94.6%), keeping warm (84.6%), communicating dysmenorrhea with friends or classmates (79.0%), drinking warm beverages (75.7%) and avoiding cold drinks and foods (74.2%). In addition, only 34.8% self-medicated with Western medicine (15.6%), traditional Chinese medicine (8.6%), or both (10.6%). Medical advice was sought by 27.4% of subjects from a Western medical doctor (10.3%), a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (13.6%), or both (3.5%). Girls who had greater pain severity were more likely to be self-medicated (OR=7.01; 95% CI 4.50 to 10.91), use complementary therapies (OR=2.64; 95% CI 1.70 to 4.10) and seek medical advice (OR=5.93; 95% CI 3.80 to 9.24).

conclusionsPD is highly prevalent among Chinese college girls, with a high burden of symptoms. In addition, these girls are most likely to change their lifestyle, communicate dysmenorrhea with friends or mothers, use heat therapy and engage in self-talk, but less likely to self-medicate or seek medical advice for managing PD.

Indexed as

DysmenorrheaPain ManagementSelf CareAdolescentChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHelp-Seeking BehaviorHumansLife StylePain MeasurementSelf MedicationEPIDEMIOLOGYGYNAECOLOGYPAIN MANAGEMENTPUBLIC HEALTH

Identifiers

PMID31537555
PMCPMC6756436
OpenAlexW2974607993

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.