Dysmenorrhea in industrial workers

Abstract

In two Norwegian industrial companies 234 women of menstruating age were examined by the industrial nurse with regard to menstrual complaints. Every second woman experienced pain, 23% had consulted a doctor previously, about 30% had to stay in bed, and about 30% had been absent from work recently due to dysmenorrhea. Although pain was prevalent in all age groups, there were age-specific differences in other complaints, such as headache and depression, which were more frequent among the older women. In a selected group of 32 women with severe complaints, the history and gynecological examination indicated secondary dysmenorrhea in only a few cases. Hormonal assays and endometrial biopsy indicated anovulatory cycles in 4 out of 12 women, in spite of dysmenorrhea.