The effect of virtual and in-person education on pain management and quality of life of university students with dysmenorrhea
Niloufar Mohammadi Ahvazi, Somayeh Ansari, Mohammad Hossein Haghighi Zadeh, Zahra AbbaspoorBACKGROUND:
Dysmenorrhea affects daily life, mental health, and productivity, raising economic and social concerns. It also significantly affects women’s productivity and quality of life. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of virtual and in-person education in reducing pain and improving quality of life among university students with primary dysmenorrhea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
This quasiexperimental study involved 112 university students with moderate to severe dysmenorrhea (a pain score of 4 or higher over two consecutive menstrual cycles), who were randomly assigned to either In-Person or virtual education groups. An educational intervention was conducted in a 1-hour session (covering topics such as menstrual physiology, nutritional modifications, nonpharmacological treatments, and suitable exercises to alleviate menstrual pain) before their first menstrual cycle. Data were collected using the SF-36 questionnaire, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and McGill Pain Questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS software.
RESULTS:
Participants, averaging 25.93 years old, experienced dysmenorrhea lasting about 2.49 days per cycle. Before the intervention, there were no notable differences in quality of life. Four weeks postintervention, both groups showed significant improvements in various health-related quality of life) physical functioning (
CONCLUSION:
Both methods improved quality of life and reduced dysmenorrhea, with a preference for virtual education, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating meaningful clinical benefits that align with health policy benchmarks for patient-centered outcomes.