Menstruation-Related Anxiety and Sadness among Palestinian Women

Abstract Background: The menstrual cycle involves a complex interplay of hormones, including estrogen and progesterone that can affect a woman's mood and emotions, and may contribute to feelings of sadness and guilt. Purpose: The study aimed to determine the menstruation-related anxiety and sadness experienced by Palestinian women. Methodology: The study used a descriptive, cross-sectional design. The sample of the study consisted of 512 Palestinian women from different areas. For data collection, the researcher used a self-administered questionnaire. Results: 30.5% of study participants are single, 31.8% are married for 1 – 10 years, 27.1% are married for 11 – 20 years, and 10.5% are married for 21 years and more. 89.4% of married women, 80.1% of single women, 77.8% of divorced women stated that they want to become pregnant and give birth. The overall mean score of anxiety related to menses was 2.78 with mean percent 69.5%, and the mean score of sadness related to menses was 2.22 with mean percent 55.5%. There were statistically no significant differences in levels of anxiety and sadness related to marital status, number of years of being married, number of children, and age of the woman (P ˃ 0.05). The study concluded that most of women wanted to have children, and there was a moderate anxiety and sadness associated with menstruation.