RT Journal Article
T1 Absenteeism during Menstruation among Nursing Students in Spain
A1 Fernández Martínez, Elia
A1 Onieva Zafra, María Dolores
A1 Abreu Sánchez, Ana María
A1 Fernández Muñoz, Juan José
A1 Parra Fernández, María Laura
AB Absenteeism can clearly have a negative impact on academic performance among universitystudents. Certain experiences or symptoms such as menstrual pain are very common in womenand can lead to absenteeism. The current study was aimed at examining the presence of menstrualexperiences or symptoms and their impact upon absenteeism among healthy (illness-free) femaleuniversity nursing students in Spain. A total of 299 students participated in this research, whichwas a descriptive cross-sectional, observational study. An ad hoc online questionnaire was usedbased on sociodemographic and gynecological data, together with the noted menstrual experiences;the most prevalent of which were bloating, which a ected 87.3% of students; dysmenorrhea andirritability, which a ected 76.3%; and fatigue, which a ected 70.6%. Students with dysmenorrhea hada 6.95 higher (odds ratio (OR) 6.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.39–14.25) odds of absenteeism;in those who reported dizziness, the odds of absenteeism was 4.82 times higher (OR 4.82; 1.76–13.23);in those who manifested nausea and vomiting, the percentage of absenteeism was 3.51 higher(OR 3.51; 95% CI 1.51–8.15); in those who presented sleep alterations, the odds were 2.95 higher(OR 2.95; 95% CI 1.39–6.25); and for those who felt depressed the odds were 2.18 times higher(OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.21–3.94) Absenteeism was found to be more likely in women with dysmenorrhea.However, in addition, higher odds of absenteeism were also found in women with nausea andvomiting, dizziness, sleep disorders, and those who feel depressed. These menstrual experiencescan be considered a relevant problem among young women, leading to absenteeism, and a negativeinfluence on academic performance. It is essential to raise awareness of the socioeconomic impact ofabsenteeism and establish new strategies for improving menstrual experiences.
PB MDPI
SN 1661-7827
YR 2020
FD 2020-01
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10272/17692
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10272/17692
LA eng
NO Fernández Martínez, E., Onieva Zafra, M. D., Abreu Sánchez, A., Fernández Muñóz, J. J.,  Parra Fernández, M. L. (2019). Absenteeism during Menstruation among Nursing Students in Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(1), 53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010053
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 31 may 2026