The Impact of Gym Activities on Primary Dysmenorrhea Among Young Girls

Abstract

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological condition among young girls and may impair daily activities, social participation, and quality of life. Physical activity has been proposed as a conservative strategy for reducing menstrual pain, but evidence among gym-going young girls remains limited. Objective: To assess the association between gym participation and self-reported change in primary dysmenorrhea severity among young girls. Methods: A descriptive observational study with retrospective paired self-report comparison was conducted among 121 unmarried young girls aged 16–24 years with primary dysmenorrhea who had participated in gym activities for 4–6 months. Participants were recruited from two gyms in Lahore, Pakistan, using non-probability convenience sampling. Dysmenorrhea severity was assessed using the WaLIDD score before gym participation by recall and after 4–6 months of gym participation as current status. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-test. Results: The mean total WaLIDD score decreased from 6.95 ± 1.32 before gym activities to 4.07 ± 1.67 after gym activities, with a mean paired reduction of 2.88 points. The difference was statistically significant, t = 14.58, p < 0.001. Severe dysmenorrhea decreased from 33.9% to 6.6%, while mild dysmenorrhea increased from 3.3% to 72.7%. Conclusion: Gym participation was associated with lower self-reported dysmenorrhea severity among young girls, although prospective controlled studies are required to confirm causality