Presence and Perceptions of Menstrual Dysfunction and Associated Quality of Life Measures Among High School Female Athletes

Context Adolescent female athletes are at risk for menstrual dysfunction in the setting of exercise and low energy availability. Education regarding menstrual dysfunction and its associated consequences is important to promote athlete wellbeing. Objective The primary aim was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of female athletes who believed that losing their period was a normal response to high training demands. The secondary aim was to explore the relationship between menstrual dysfunction and patient-reported quality of life measures. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Preparticipation evaluations for a local high school district. Patients or Other Participants Female athletes, 13–18 years old (n = 90). Main Outcome Measure(s) Health history, family affluence, and patient-reported quality of life measures. Results Forty four percent (n = 40) of 90 adolescent athletes answered that losing their period was a normal response to a high level of training, and this group had a lower body mass index, were less likely to report being worried about their current weight, and had a higher family affluence level than those who answered that losing their period was not a normal response to training. The overall prevalence of menstrual dysfunction was 28%. After adjusting for age and body mass index, we found that menstrual dysfunction was significantly associated with higher levels of anxiety, fatigue, and pain interference. Conclusions Nearly half of our sample of adolescent female athletes perceived losing their period was a normal response to high training demands. Females with menstrual dysfunction reported higher levels of anxiety, fatigue, and pain interference than those without menstrual dysfunction. Understanding adolescent perceptions of menstrual dysfunction and the characteristics of those with menstrual dysfunction can guide the development of future educational interventions aimed at athletes at risk for the female athlete triad.