Obstet Gynecol Sci.  2013 Jul;56(4):242-248.

Factors related to dysmenorrhea among Vietnamese and Vietnamese marriage immigrant women in South Korea

• Jang IA
• Kim MY
• Lee SR
• Jeong KA
• Chung HW

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To find factors associated with dysmenorrhea, we surveyed the obstetric and gynecologic histories as well as socioeconomic factors of Vietnamese female residents in Can Tho (southern part of Vietnam) and Bavi (northern part of Vietnam) and Vietnamese female marriage immigrants living in South Korea.
METHODS
From March 2010 to March 2011, 3,017 Vietnamese women aged 17 to 42 years (mean, 25.5 years) were recruited. Socioeconomic factors as well as baseline characteristics, including gynecologic history and menstrual patterns, were collected using questionnaires. The relationships between these factors and dysmenorrhea were analyzed using chi-square test, independent t-test and logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS
Dysmenorrhea was found in 58.8% of all women. The mean age and the age at menarche were younger in the women with dysmenorrhea. A longer duration of menstrual flow and severe menstrual volume increased the risk of dysmenorrhea. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was lower in women who had experienced pregnancy, term delivery and breastfeeding. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea in Vietnamese women was also different according to their educational status. When participants were divided according to their religious preferences, atheist women showed a lower prevalence with 55%, and women who were religious had a higher prevalence of dysmenorrhea. The body mass index, menstrual cycle length, monthly income, and duration of residency in Korea were not related with the prevalence of dysmenorrhea.
CONCLUSION
Socioeconomic factors as well as age, menstrual pattern and obstetric history were related with dysmenorrhea in Vietnamese women.

Keyword

Dysmenorrhea; Socioeconomic factors; Vietnamese

MeSH Terms

Aged
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Body Mass Index
Breast Feeding
Dysmenorrhea
Educational Status
Emigrants and Immigrants
Female
Humans
Internship and Residency
Korea
Logistic Models
Marriage
Menarche
Menstrual Cycle
Pregnancy
Prevalence
Surveys and Questionnaires
Republic of Korea
Socioeconomic Factors

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