Tomoko Fujiwara

Skipping breakfast is associated with dysmenorrhea in young women in Japan

To evaluate the effects of breakfast habits on the quality of life in young women in Japan, the relation between breakfast habits and menstrual and intestinal disorders was estimated by responses to a questionnaire. Subjects were recruited from young Japanese female students of Ashiya College ranging in age from 18 to 20 years. Breakfast habits were classified into three groups (group I, having breakfast every morning, n=289; group II, having breakfast one to six times per week, n=106; group III, having breakfast less than once a week, n=44). The intensity of dysmenorrhea was classified into three grades (score 1, free of pain or painful, but without need for analgesic; score 2, painful, requiring analgesic; score 3, painful, not relieved by analgesic). The grades of bowel movement were classified into three groups (score 1, no more than once a week; score 2, two to six times a week; score 3, every day). Group II and group III had significantly higher scores for dysmenorrhea compared with group I. Students in group III showed a tendency toward constipation. Since dysmenorrhea is a risk factor for psychological disorders as well as gynecological diseases, the present study suggests the importance of eating breakfast to the quality of life of young women.

Diet during adolescence is a trigger for subsequent development of dysmenorrhea in young women

Recently many young women in Japan have been restricting their dietary intake for cosmetic purposes. In this study, the relation between diet and menstrual disorders was investigated by responses to a questionnaire. Subjects ranging from 18 to 20 years old were recruited from 716 female students at Ashiya College. Dietary habits were classified into group I (having no experience with dieting), group II (those currently on a diet) and group III (those with a history of dieting). The intensity of dysmenorrhea was classified into three grades. All participants were divided into two groups as having regular or irregular menstruation. The frequency of irregular menstruation in group II was higher than that in the other groups, while group III had higher intensity of dysmenorrhea than the other groups. These findings suggest that diet during adolescence has long-lasting adverse effects on reproductive function in young women.

Skipping breakfast is associated with reproductive dysfunction in post-adolescent female college students

Although increasing attention has been paid to the adverse effects of skipping breakfast on quality of life, there are very few reports concerning the relationship between skipping breakfast and reproductive function. Therefore, we examined this issue by conducting a questionnaire survey of female college students aged from 18 to 20 years old. The 5 annual surveys of questionnaire demonstrated that the severity of dysmenorrhea was significantly higher in the population that skipped breakfast. The incidence of irregular menses was also higher in the population that skipped breakfast, although there was no difference in the incidence of premenstrual symptoms. The group that skipped breakfast showed a tendency to suffer from constipation. In addition, despite no difference in body mass index, there was a significantly higher incidence of a self-perception of poor general health among the group that skipped breakfast. These findings suggest that skipping breakfast is associated with menstrual disorders, and affects the physical condition of female college students who are undergoing post-adolescent maturation. Since these menstrual disorders may influence the quality of life of young women not only in the present but also in the future, skipping breakfast should be re-evaluated from the perspective of future reproductive function.

Skipping breakfast adversely affects menstrual disorders in young college students.

In the present study we conducted a questionnaire survey to examine the relationship between dietary habits and menstrual disorders in young women. Subjects were recruited from 315 college students and were classified as: Group I, eating breakfast; Group II, skipping breakfast; Group III, not eating fast foods; Group IV, eating fast foods; Group V, not eating processed foods; and Group VI, eating processed foods. The intensity of dysmenorrhea was scored using three grades. All participants were further divided into groups based on having regular or irregular menstruation, having premenstrual symptoms or not, and self-perception of good or poor general health. General health was poor in Groups II and VI, and dysmenorrhea scores were high in Groups II, IV and VI. The incidence of irregular menses was also high in Group II. However, there was no apparent relation between premenstrual symptoms and dietary habits. These findings suggest that skipping breakfast adversely affects menstrual disorders in young college students.

Young Japanese College Students with Dysmenorrhea Have High Frequency of Irregular Menstruation and Premenstrual Symptoms

In this study, to estimate the current status of young women with menstrual disorders, the relation among dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation and premenstrual symptoms was investigated by a questionnaire. Subjects ranging from 18 to 20 years old were recruited from 522 female students at Ashiya College in Japan. The intensity of dysmenorrhea was classified into 3 grades (score 1, not requiring analgesic; score 2, painful, requiring analgesic; score 3, painful, not relieved by analgesic). All participants were further divided into subsequent groups as having premenstrual symptoms or not and those having regular or irregular menstruation. Dysmenorrhea scores in the students with premenstrual symptoms or irregular menstruation were significantly higher than those without these symptoms (1.66±0.66 vs 1.41±0.59; 1.62±0.68 vs 1.49±0.61, respectively). There was no significant relation in the incidence between premenstrual symptoms and irregular menstruation. These findings suggest that considerable numbers of young women with dysmenorrhea are associated with premenstrual symptoms.

Adverse Effects of Dietary Habits on Menstrual Disorders in Young Women

It has been accepted that food customs are closely associated with quality of life in women of the reproductive age. Food customs are speculated to not only influence the present life style but also to induce gynecological disorders such as dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation. Although there is no constant definition of regular or normal menstrua- tion, epidemiologic evaluation of menstrual cycle has been becoming an important issue. In addition, latent development of organic diseases such as endometriosis, which are accompanied by dysmenorrhea, is a concern under the current nutri- tional environment in young women. Thus, it is an important issue to evaluate the present situation of eating habits in young women and estimate the influence of these habits on the quality of reproductive functions. Therefore, in this re- view, recent articles that are concerned with these issues have been reevaluated.