PMS: THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER
1. How Common Is PMS?
- 90% of women experience some premenstrual symptoms
- 20–30% have symptoms severe enough to disrupt daily life
- 10–11% meet criteria for Premenstrual Disorders (PMDs)
- ~1.6–2% suffer from PMDD (severe, disabling form)
IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE
2. Quality of Life Reduction
- Women with PMS have significantly lower health-related quality of life scores than those without PMS
- In a cohort of 17,000+ women, PMDs were linked to:
- Worse emotional well-being
- Poorer physical functioning
- Reduced ability to perform usual activities
FUNCTIONAL & BEHAVIORAL IMPACT
3. Daily Life Disruption
- 85% of women with PMS report behavioral changes
- 29% report moderate impairment
- 13–14% report severe impairment
- Commonly affected areas:
- Concentration
- Motivation
- Emotional regulation
- Social interaction
EFFECT ON WORK & PRODUCTIVITY
4. Productivity Loss
- 80.7% of working women with PMS report reduced productivity
- 5.6 days per menstrual cycle are affected by moderate–severe productivity loss
- Compared to women without PMS:
- PMS group: 5.6 impaired days/cycle
- Non-PMS group: 1.1 impaired days/cycle
5. Absenteeism (Missing Work)
- 13–14% of women with moderate–severe PMS:
- Miss >8 work hours per cycle
- Absenteeism rate:
- 14.2% (moderate–severe PMS)
- 6% (mild/no PMS)
6. Presenteeism (At Work, But Not Fully Functional)
- PMS causes presenteeism more than absenteeism
- Women attend work but function at significantly reduced capacity
- This is a major hidden economic burden
HEALTHCARE & FEMALE-DOMINATED WORKFORCE
7. Workforce-Specific Findings
- Among nurses and healthcare workers:
- ~70% report PMS negatively affects job performance
- Higher impact in:
- Shift workers
- High-stress professions
- Emotionally demanding jobs
DISABILITY & LONG-TERM BURDEN
8. PMS as a Cause of Disability
- Moderate–severe PMS and PMDD cause measurable functional disability
- Disability levels comparable to:
- Chronic anxiety disorders
- Mild–moderate depressive disorders
- Women with PMDs have:
- Higher risk of sick leave
- Higher risk of long-term work impairment
BIG PICTURE IMPACT
9. Lifetime Burden
- PMS affects women for 30–40 reproductive years
- Even 5 impaired days per month =
- ~60 impaired days per year
- 1,800–2,400 impaired days across adulthood
This is not trivial!!
