Subjects: Four hundred ninety three female nurses in the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Material and Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was done at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. Subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire (32 items) and a Short form-36. The questionnaire included demographic data, menstrual pattern, age at dysmenorrhea, severity of dysmenorrhea, pain score, impact of dysmenorrhea on daily activity, and method and knowledge of medications to treat dysmenorrhea. Evaluation of the quality of life using short form-36 questionnaire was also asked.

Results: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 70.2%. The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe dysmenorrhea was 29.6%, 38.9%, and 1.6% respectively. Dysmenorrhea was significantly associated with age of participants, amount of menses, and the family history of dysmenorrhea. Nurses who had moderate to severe dysmenorrhea reported the impact on daily activities as limited sport activity (93%), limited social activity (66%), affected their concentration (81%), and absenteeism from work (16.5%). The mean total score of short form-36 in moderate and severe dysmenorrhea group was 69.9, significantly lower than mild and no dysmenorrhea group (75.2). Eighty-one percent and 68% of nurses with moderate and severe dysmenorrhea used paracetamol and mefenamic acid for pain relief, respectively.

Conclusion: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea among nurses was high and it had a negative impact on daily activities and quality of life. Most of the subjects knew that paracetamol and mefenamic acid can relieve dysmenorrhea. The hospital administrators should be concerned with this problem in nurses working in their hospital.

Keywords: Dysmenorrhea, Quality of life, Nurses, Prevalence