Higher perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic increased menstrual dysregulation and menopause symptoms
Background: The increased stress the world experienced with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic affected mental health, disproportionately affecting females. However, how perceived stress in the first year affected menstrual and menopausal symptoms has not yet been investigated. Objectives:...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | Women's Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057231199051 |
| _version_ | 1797678138780549120 |
|---|---|
| author | Romina Garcia de leon Alexandra Baaske Arianne Y. Albert Amy Booth C. Sarai Racey Shanlea Gordon Laurie W. Smith Anna Gottschlich Manish Sadarangani Angela Kaida Gina S. Ogilvie Lori A. Brotto Liisa A.M. Galea |
| author_facet | Romina Garcia de leon Alexandra Baaske Arianne Y. Albert Amy Booth C. Sarai Racey Shanlea Gordon Laurie W. Smith Anna Gottschlich Manish Sadarangani Angela Kaida Gina S. Ogilvie Lori A. Brotto Liisa A.M. Galea |
| author_sort | Romina Garcia de leon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The increased stress the world experienced with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic affected mental health, disproportionately affecting females. However, how perceived stress in the first year affected menstrual and menopausal symptoms has not yet been investigated. Objectives: This study evaluates the effect that the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic had on female reproductive and mental health. Methods: Residents in British Columbia, Canada, were surveyed online as part of the COVID-19 Rapid Evidence Study of a Provincial Population-Based Cohort for Gender and Sex. A subgroup of participants (n = 4171), who were assigned female sex at birth (age 25–69 years) and were surveyed within the first 6–12 months of the pandemic (August 2020–February 2021), prior to the widespread rollout of vaccines, was retrospectively asked if they noticed changes in their menstrual or menopausal symptoms, and completing validated measures of stress, depression and anxiety. Design: This is a population-based online retrospective survey. Results: We found that 27.8% reported menstrual cycle disturbances and 6.7% reported increased menopause symptoms. Those who scored higher on perceived stress, depression and anxiety scales were more likely to report reproductive cycle disturbances. Free-text responses revealed that reasons for disturbances were perceived to be related to the pandemic. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to research female-specific health issues, such as menstruation. Our data indicate that in the first year of the pandemic, almost one-third of the menstruating population reported disturbances in their cycle, which was related to percieved stress, depression and anxiety scores. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T22:55:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-18ce0c4e9bb242e6b2fbe251e8b201cf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1745-5065 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T22:55:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-18ce0c4e9bb242e6b2fbe251e8b201cf2023-09-21T17:04:40ZengSAGE PublishingWomen's Health1745-50652023-09-011910.1177/17455057231199051Higher perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic increased menstrual dysregulation and menopause symptomsRomina Garcia de leon0Alexandra Baaske1Arianne Y. Albert2Amy Booth3C. Sarai Racey4Shanlea Gordon5Laurie W. Smith6Anna Gottschlich7Manish Sadarangani8Angela Kaida9Gina S. Ogilvie10Lori A. Brotto11Liisa A.M. Galea12Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaWomen’s Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, CanadaWomen’s Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, CanadaSchool of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaSchool of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaWomen’s Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, CanadaWomen’s Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, CanadaSchool of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaVaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, CanadaFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaSchool of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CanadaBackground: The increased stress the world experienced with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic affected mental health, disproportionately affecting females. However, how perceived stress in the first year affected menstrual and menopausal symptoms has not yet been investigated. Objectives: This study evaluates the effect that the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic had on female reproductive and mental health. Methods: Residents in British Columbia, Canada, were surveyed online as part of the COVID-19 Rapid Evidence Study of a Provincial Population-Based Cohort for Gender and Sex. A subgroup of participants (n = 4171), who were assigned female sex at birth (age 25–69 years) and were surveyed within the first 6–12 months of the pandemic (August 2020–February 2021), prior to the widespread rollout of vaccines, was retrospectively asked if they noticed changes in their menstrual or menopausal symptoms, and completing validated measures of stress, depression and anxiety. Design: This is a population-based online retrospective survey. Results: We found that 27.8% reported menstrual cycle disturbances and 6.7% reported increased menopause symptoms. Those who scored higher on perceived stress, depression and anxiety scales were more likely to report reproductive cycle disturbances. Free-text responses revealed that reasons for disturbances were perceived to be related to the pandemic. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to research female-specific health issues, such as menstruation. Our data indicate that in the first year of the pandemic, almost one-third of the menstruating population reported disturbances in their cycle, which was related to percieved stress, depression and anxiety scores.https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057231199051 |
| spellingShingle | Romina Garcia de leon Alexandra Baaske Arianne Y. Albert Amy Booth C. Sarai Racey Shanlea Gordon Laurie W. Smith Anna Gottschlich Manish Sadarangani Angela Kaida Gina S. Ogilvie Lori A. Brotto Liisa A.M. Galea Higher perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic increased menstrual dysregulation and menopause symptoms Women's Health |
| title | Higher perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic increased menstrual dysregulation and menopause symptoms |
| title_full | Higher perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic increased menstrual dysregulation and menopause symptoms |
| title_fullStr | Higher perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic increased menstrual dysregulation and menopause symptoms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Higher perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic increased menstrual dysregulation and menopause symptoms |
| title_short | Higher perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic increased menstrual dysregulation and menopause symptoms |
| title_sort | higher perceived stress during the covid 19 pandemic increased menstrual dysregulation and menopause symptoms |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057231199051 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rominagarciadeleon higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT alexandrabaaske higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT arianneyalbert higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT amybooth higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT csarairacey higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT shanleagordon higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT lauriewsmith higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT annagottschlich higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT manishsadarangani higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT angelakaida higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT ginasogilvie higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT loriabrotto higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms AT liisaamgalea higherperceivedstressduringthecovid19pandemicincreasedmenstrualdysregulationandmenopausesymptoms |