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Cross-sectional survey reveals illness perceptions are linked to menstrual distress in UK adults, indicating a need for better health models.
Menstrual distress, including pain and heavy bleeding, affects daily life yet remains under-researched. We conducted an online cross-sectional survey of UK adults experiencing menstrual cycles (N = 957; Mage = 32.1 years, SD = 7.78, range 18–52). Participants reported an average of six symptoms causing greater distress during menstruation (SD = 5.43). Regression analyses showed that more threatening menstrual-health-related illness perceptions were associated with higher menstrual distress (β = .31, p < .001), independent of physical health and psychological factors. Social support was not significantly associated. Confirmatory factor analyses showed varying model fit. Findings support the application of health psychology models to menstrual health to better understand health processes and outcomes.
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Abdullayev et al. (2026) studied this question.
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