Health-related quality of life among Chinese adolescent girls with Dysmenorrhoea

Background: Primary dysmenorrhoea is common in girls who have begun menstruating. However few studies have examined its effect on the quality of life of a young population. The study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of adolescent girls with dysmenorrhoea in Hong Kong. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive approach. A convenience sample of 653 girls aged 13 to 19 years old was recruited from three secondary schools in Hong Kong. The 36-item Short-Form Health Survey was used to examine the health-related quality of life of the participants. The severity of dysmenorrhoea was assessed using a 10 point visual analog scale. Results: Girls suffering from dysmenorrhoea reported high pain prevalence and intensity. However the majority of girls with dysmenorrhoea did not seek medical advice (93.2%) or self-medicate (82%). The role-physical bodily pain general health and social functioning domain scores of girls with dysmenorrhoea were significantly lower than those without dysmenorrhoea. Moreover girls with severe dysmenorrhoea had a significantly lower quality of life in the bodily pain domain than those with mild and moderate forms of condition. Conclusions: Findings suggest that dysmenorrhoea is highly prevalent among adolescent girls in Hong Kong. Girls may suffer severe pain which degrades their quality of life.