Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol 47, Issue 4 363-371, Copyright © 1985 by American Psychosomatic Society

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

The salience and timing of the menstrual flow

J Brooks-Gunn

The relationship of two menstrual characteristics-flow and length-to reported menstrual symptomatology, attitudes, and effects upon performance were examined in a sample of 156 college women. The possible effects of social contextual variables in mediating this relationship were also explored. Perceiving oneself to be irregular was related to performance decrements, menstrual pain, and negative attitudes but not to premenstrual negative affect. Reporting heavier flows was related to more severe symptom reports, activity restrictions, and negative attitudes. Religious group membership affected these relationships, as Catholic women reported more irregular cycles than Protestant women. Reports of heavy flows were related to the importance of religion, symptom severity, and performance decrements in the Catholic but not in the Protestant sample. Possible explanatory models for these results are presented.

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