The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Anemia with Primary Dysmenorrhea in Adolescent Girls
Abstract
Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is menstrual pain that occurs without any organic disorder and is often experienced by adolescent girls. The global prevalence reaches 60–90%, while in Indonesia, approximately 64.25% of adolescents report it. Risk factors include nutritional status (Body Mass Index/BMI) and anemia. An abnormal BMI (either underweight or overweight) is associated with hormonal disorders that can worsen pain, while iron deficiency anemia exacerbates uterine contractions through endometrial tissue hypoxia.
Objective : To determine the relationship between BMI and anemia and the incidence of primary dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls.
Methods: This study was conducted from January to May 2020 in Babussalam Village, Rokan Hulu Regency. This study was an observational analytic study with a cross-sectional approach. The population in this study were adolescent girls aged 12-16 years in Babussalam Village, Rokan Hulu Regency. Sampling used a total sampling technique of 50 adolescent girls who met the inclusion criteria.
Results: The study found that 64.0% of adolescent girls experienced primary dysmenorrhea. Most of the adolescent girls were not anemic (58.0%), and 62.0% had a normal body mass index. The chi-square test analysis with a 95% confidence interval showed a significant relationship between body mass index (p=0.001) and anemia (p=0.003) and the incidence of primary dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls.
Conclusion : BMI and anemia are significantly associated with the incidence of primary dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls, with anemia as the most influential factor.
Recommendations: Adolescent girls are advised to maintain ideal nutritional status and regularly consume nutritious foods and iron supplements to prevent anemia. Schools and health workers need to increase education on reproductive health, menstrual pain management, and anemia prevention. Further research is recommended, including longitudinal designs and nutritional interventions.
Keywords: Adolescents, Body Mass Index (BMI), Anemia, Dysmenorrhea
Full Text:
PDFReferences
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2018). Dysmenorrhea and Endometriosis in the Adolescent.
Fernandez-Jimenez, M. C., Moreno, G., Wright, I., Shih, P.-C., Vaquero, M. P., & Remacha, A. F. (2020a). Iron Deficiency in Menstruating Adult Women: Much More than Anemia. Women’s Health Reports, 1(1), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1089/whr.2019.0011
Fernandez-Jimenez, M. C., Moreno, G., Wright, I., Shih, P.-C., Vaquero, M. P., & Remacha, A. F. (2020b). Iron Deficiency in Menstruating Adult Women: Much More than Anemia. Women’s Health Reports, 1(1), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1089/whr.2019.0011
Guideline on haemoglobin cutoffs to define anaemia in individuals and populations. (2024). World Health Organization.
Hasnia, F., Rize Budi Amalia, Lestari Sudaryanti, & Annas, J. Y. (2024). CORRELATION BETWEEN ANEMIA AND THE INCIDENCE OF DYSMENORRHEA IN ADOLESCENT GIRLS. Indonesian Midwifery and Health Sciences Journal, 8(3), 230–238. https://doi.org/10.20473/imhsj.v8i3.2024.230-238
Itani, R., Soubra, L., Karout, S., Rahme, D., Karout, L., & Khojah, H. M. J. (2022). Primary Dysmenorrhea: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment Updates. In Korean Journal of Family Medicine (Vol. 43, Issue 2, pp. 101–108). Korean Journal of Family Medicine. https://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.21.0103
Katib, Y., Almehmadi, M., Alhajaji, F., Alqorashi, S., Almajnooni, F., Alshinawi, M. A., & Marghalani, R. A. (2024). Prevalence of Primary Dysmenorrhea and Its Effect on the Quality of Life Among Female Students at Umm Al-Qura University. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.72136
Kirsch, E., Rahman, S., Kerolus, K., Hasan, R., Kowalska, D. B., Desai, A., & Bergese, S. D. (2024). Dysmenorrhea, a Narrative Review of Therapeutic Options. In Journal of Pain Research (Vol. 17, pp. 2657–2666). Dove Medical Press Ltd. https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S459584
Kleber Yotsumoto Fertrin. (2020). Diagnosis and management of iron deficiency in chronic inflammatory conditions (CIC): is too little iron making your patient sick? https://doi.org/10.1182/hematology.2020000132
Mizgier, M., Więckowska, B., Sansoni, V., Malvandi, A. M., Jarząbek-Bielecka, G., Drejza, M., Mruczyk, K., Cisek-Woźniak, A., & Lombardi, G. (2025). Risk Factors of Primary Dysmenorrhea in Female Adolescent Basketball Players Related to Dietary, Hormonal, and Immuno-Metabolic Factors and Disordered Eating Attitudes. Nutrients , 17(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071190
Riskesdas. (2018). Laporan Riskesdas 2018 Nasional.
Takata, K., Kotani, K., & Umino, H. (2023). The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Dysmenorrhea in the General Female Population. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, 15(4), 239–242. https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr4893
World Health Organization. (2024). Guideline on haemoglobin Cutoffs to Define Anaemia in Individuals and Populations. World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (2025). WHO Global Anaemia Estimates: Key Findings, 2025.
Wu, L., Zhang, J., Tang, J., & Fang, H. (2022a). The relation between body mass index and primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. In Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (Vol. 101, Issue 12, pp. 1364–1373). John Wiley and Sons Inc. https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14449
Wu, L., Zhang, J., Tang, J., & Fang, H. (2022b). The relation between body mass index and primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. In Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (Vol. 101, Issue 12, pp. 1364–1373). John Wiley and Sons Inc. https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14449
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33024/jkm.v11i10.22952
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 JKM (Jurnal Kebidanan Malahayati)
Policies | Submissions | Other |
| Focus and Scope Section Policies Peer Review Process Publication Frequency Open Access Policy | Online Submissions Author Guidelines Copyright Notice Privacy Statement Author Fees | Journal Sponsorship Journal History Site Map About this Publishing System |