Prevalence, self-care practices and impact of dysmenorrhea on quality of life among Saudi female nursing students

Objective: To assess the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among female nursing students at Taibah University, evaluate its impact on quality of life (QoL), and identify self-care practices used for symptom relief. Methodology: This cross-sectional study included 332 nursing students. We used an online survey, including socio-demographic data, menstrual history, EuroQol-5D for QoL, and self-care practices. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20, with chi-square tests and Spearman correlation coefficients. Results: Dysmenorrhea prevalence was 87.9%. A significant negative correlation was found between dysmenorrhea severity and QoL score (r = -0.459, p<0.001) and academic performance (r = -0.169, p=0.002). A significant positive correlation existed between dysmenorrhea severity and BMI (r = 0.235, p<0.001). The most common self-care practices were rest (92.5%), herbal tea (75.3%), and warm compress application (72.3%). Conclusion: Dysmenorrhea significantly impacts nursing students' QoL and academic performance. Early interventions for pain management and enhanced self-care strategies can reduce symptom severity and improve QoL.