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Identifying Menstrual Symptom Patterns In Young Women Using Factor And Cluster Analysis, Felicia A. Quintana-Zinn

Masters Theses

Approximately 80% of reproductive age women experience physical or emotional symptoms prior to onset of menses. Of these women, approximately 20% experience symptoms severe enough to interfere with social functioning and life activities and meet criteria for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). More than 100 different symptoms are associated with PMS, the most common of which include breast tenderness, headache, anger, and depression. Symptom groupings tend to be stable within an individual but can vary distinctly between women. Potential differences in the etiology of symptoms suggest that PMS should not be considered a single condition in research or clinical studies, but rather …