Almosa Kawther N, Alshammari Sulaiman A, Almutairi Shahad M, Almousa Yasmeen M
Family and Community Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, SAU.
Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, SAU.
Cureus. 2024 Sep 26;16(9):e70277. doi: 10.7759/cureus.70277. eCollection 2024 Sep.
Objectives We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of menstrual cycle changes following the COVID-19 pandemic and the COVID-19 vaccination among female students at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional retrospective study using an online questionnaire was conducted between October 2022 and December 2022. Data were collected concerning demographic variables, clinical conditions, menstrual cycle characteristics, COVID-19 infection status, and vaccination history. Results Of the 525 female students who participated in the study (mean age, 21.5 ± 3.9 years; mean body mass index, 22.7 ± 4.7 kg/m), 246 (46.9%) had tested positive for COVID-19, 15 (2.9%) had visited the emergency room, and eight (1.5%) had been hospitalized. The average duration between menstrual cycles increased significantly among the study sample (pre-pandemic, 25.9 ± 5.3 days; post-pandemic, 26.8 ± 6.7 days; p = 0.016). Pre-pandemic, 221 (42.1%) participants reported less than two days of variance between their shortest and longest cycles, as compared with 175 (33.3%) post-pandemic (p < 0.001). Regarding vaccination, 393 (74.9%) participants had received three vaccinations, and 110 (21%) had received two vaccinations. Post-vaccination, 184 (35%) participants reported no changes to their menstrual cycle, 154 (29.3%) reported less disruption, and 44 (8.4%) experienced more disrupted menstrual cycles. Conclusion This study highlights potential associations between the COVID-19 pandemic, subsequent vaccinations, and changes in menstrual patterns, which can help to elucidate the physiological and psychological effects of pandemics and vaccination campaigns on women's health. Future studies must consider biological and psychosocial factors to elucidate underlying mechanisms and causal relationships.
目的 我们旨在评估沙特阿拉伯利雅得国王沙特大学的女学生在新冠疫情及接种新冠疫苗后月经周期变化的发生率。方法 于2022年10月至2022年12月期间采用在线问卷进行了一项横断面回顾性研究。收集了有关人口统计学变量、临床状况、月经周期特征、新冠病毒感染状况和疫苗接种史的数据。结果 在参与研究的525名女学生中（平均年龄21.5±3.9岁；平均体重指数22.7±4.7kg/m），246人（46.9%）新冠病毒检测呈阳性，15人（2.9%）去过急诊室，8人（1.5%）曾住院治疗。研究样本中月经周期的平均持续时间显著增加（疫情前为25.9±5.3天；疫情后为26.8±6.7天；p=0.016）。疫情前，221名（42.１%）参与者报告其最短和最长周期之间的差异少于两天，相比之下，疫情后为175名（33.3%）（p<0.001）。关于疫苗接种，393名（74.9%）参与者接种了三针疫苗，110名（21%）接种了两针疫苗。接种疫苗后，184名（35%）参与者报告月经周期无变化，154名（29.3%）报告干扰减少，44名（8.4%）经历了月经周期干扰增加。结论 本研究强调了新冠疫情、后续疫苗接种与月经模式变化之间的潜在关联，这有助于阐明疫情和疫苗接种运动对女性健康的生理和心理影响。未来的研究必须考虑生物学和社会心理因素，以阐明潜在机制和因果关系。
