Hum Reprod 2021 Apr 7. Epub 2021 Apr 7.
Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
Study Question: Are physical activity (PA) and body mass index (BMI) associated with irregular periods and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in Australian women?
Summary Answer: Overweight and obese women have higher odds of both irregular periods and HMB than underweight/normal-weight women, but high levels of PA reduce the odds of HMB.
What Is Known Already: Most studies on relationships between PA and menstrual problems have focused on female athletes, but there have been few population-based studies.
Study Design, Size, Duration: Prospective cohort study, 10618 participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH) who completed mailed surveys in 1996, with follow-ups in 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015. Read More