Assessing impact of BMI on menstrual patterns in adolescent girls in an urban area of Amravati district, Maharashtra, India

Janhvi Mahalle; Sonal Bhuyar; Manjusha Deotale

doi:10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20262537

Authors

Janhvi Mahalle Dr. Panjabrao alias Bhausaheb Deshmukh Memorial Medical College, Amravati, Maharashtra, India
Sonal Bhuyar Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Panjabrao alias Bhausaheb Deshmukh Memorial Medical College, Amravati, Maharashtra, India
Manjusha Deotale Department of Community Medicine, Dr. Panjabrao alias Bhausaheb Deshmukh Memorial Medical College, Amravati, Maharashtra, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20262537

Keywords:

Adolescence, Body mass index, Menstrual pattern, Menstrual irregularity

Abstract

Background: Adolescence marks a critical transitional phase characterized by significant physical, mental, emotional, and hormonal changes, including the onset of the menstrual cycle. The nature of the menstrual cycle established during this time can profoundly influence reproductive health later in life. Regular menstruation is a sign of good health and normal development of an adolescent. A paradigm shift is noted in the pattern of lifestyle, habits, diet, sleep and physical activity since childhood and is known to affect menstrual health in young girls. Body mass index (BMI) has got a great impact on menstrual functions. However, this part of women’s health is mostly neglected or not talked about.

Methods: An observational, prospective study was conducted for a period of six months in four schools in an urban area in Maharashtra. This study enrolled 276 school girls in the age group of 12-16 years. Using structured questionnaires and anthropometric measurements, their BMI and menstrual patterns were assessed and statistically analysed.

Results: Adolescent girls who had higher BMI experienced earlier onset of menstruation, irregular cycles and heavy menstrual bleeding as compared to the normal BMI participants and the difference was statistically highly significant. However, the duration of menstrual flow or the severity of dysmenorrhoea had no significant association with BMI in our study population.

Conclusions: Maintaining a normal BMI through healthy lifestyle practices since early adolescence is crucial for promoting reproductive well-being among young girls. It also plays a vital role in preventing complications such as infertility and endocrine and gynaecological disorders in future.

References

World Health Organization. Adolescent health 2020. Available at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/adolescent-health. Accessed on 3 May 2026.

Azhary JM, Leng LK, Razali N, Sulaiman S, Wahab AV, Adlan AS, et al. The prevalence of menstrual disorders and premenstrual syndrome among adolescent girls living in North Borneo, Malaysia: a questionnaire-based study. BMC Women’s Health. 2022;22(1):341.

Singh M, Rajoura OP, Honnakamble RA. Menstrual patterns and problems in association with body mass index among adolescent school girls. J Fam Med Prim Care. 2019;8(9):2855-8.

Zierle-Ghosh A, Jan A. Physiology, Body Mass Index. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026.

Liang X, Fan J. The utilization of accurate body mass index classification is imperative for grouping based on BMI. Hum Reprod. 2022;37(3):622-3.

Fraser IS, Critchley HO, Broder M, Munro MG. The FIGO recommendations on terminologies and definitions for normal and abnormal uterine bleeding. Semin Reprod Med. 2011;29(5):383-90.

Mizuta R, Maeda N, Tashiro T, Suzuki Y, Oda S, Komiya M, et al. Quality of life by dysmenorrhea severity in young and adult Japanese females: a web-based cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2023;18(3):e0283130.

Cheong Y, Cameron IT, Critchley HOD. Abnormal uterine bleeding. Br Med Bull. 2017;123(1):103-14.

Thapa B and Shrestha T. Relationship between body mass index and menstrual irregularities among the adolescents. Int J Nurs Res Pract. 2015;2(2):7-11.

Banu A, Aswathi UK, Athul K, Mathew A, Mathew S, Gireesh GR. Are menstrual patterns associated with the body mass index of university students? A descriptive study in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. J Health Allied Sci NU. 2024;14(03):390-5.

Dars S, Sayed K, Yousufzai Z. Relationship of menstrual irregularities to BMI and nutritional status in adolescent girls. Pak J Med Sci. 2014;30(1):141-4.

Vani KR, Veena KS, Subitha L, Kumar VRH, Bupathy A. Menstrual abnormalities in school going girls- are they related to dietary and exercise pattern? J Clin Diagn Res. 2013;7(11):2537-40.

Kural M, Noor NN, Pandit D, Joshi T, Patil A. Menstrual characteristics and prevalence of dysmenorrhea in college going girls. J Fam Med Prim Care. 2015;4:426-31.

Lakkawar NJ, Jayavani RL, Nivedhana AP, Alaganandam P, Vanajakshi N. A study of menstrual disorders in medical students and its correlation with biological variables. Sch J App Med Sci. 2014;2:3165-75.

Marques P, Madeira T, Gama A. Menstrual cycle among adolescents: girls' awareness and influence of age at menarche and overweight. Rev Paul Pediatr. 2022;40:e2020494.

Agrawal M, Goyal A, Gupta P, Agrawal A. Study of menstrual disorders and its correlation with BMI in adolescents. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 2023 Apr;12(5):1399-404.

Itriyeva K. The effects of obesity on the menstrual cycle. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care. 2022;52(8):101241.