This study was conducted to identify the effects of an educational intervention that involved eating habit modifications on menstrual pain and urinary BPA levels in female college students who experienced severe menstrual pain.
Methods:
The study utilized a pre- and post-test experimental design. The participants of the study were a convenience sample of 30 female college students who reported a score of 7 or higher on a menstrual pain scale of 10 points. Volunteers were recruited by a research assistant after flyers were posted throughout a college dormitory. The eating habit modification intervention consisted of a 50-minute educational session that included information about EDCs and their impacts on women’s health, as well as recommendations for restricting their intake of instant foods, use of plastic containers in the microwave, and use of disposable tableware. The pre-test was performed a week ahead of the intervention by collecting the first morning urine specimen, which was frozen immediately and then handed to a research assistant. A 10-point pain scale was used by participants to indicate the maximum pain level experienced during their menstrual cycles that occurred after the intervention. Urinary BPA levels were analyzed using a 6410b/Agilent apparatus with a corrected creatine value.
Results:
The participants were 22.2 (SD=8.09) years old on average and their age at menarche was 13.03 (SD=1.56) years old. The menstrual cycles were, on average 34.7 (SD=8.09) days, and menses lasted for 5.48 (SD=1.11) days. The menstrual pain scores were 7.90 (SD=1.59) in the pre-test and 5.47 (SD=1.90) in the post-test. The urinary BPA level was 1.18 (SD=0.91) in the pre-test and 0.53 (SD=0.36) in the post-test. Significant differences were observed in menstrual pain (t=8.27, p<.000) and urinary BPA levels (t=3.43, p=.002) between the pre- and post-test scores.
Conclusion:
As a pilot study, this study showed that a 4-week eating habit modification intervention was able to reduce menstrual pain and urinary BPA levels. Educational strategies should include detailed information about EDCs and should focus on encouraging young women to adopt a pro-environmental lifestyle.