Influence of the Wenchuan earthquake on self-reported irregular menstrual cycles in surviving women

Abstract

Objective. To explore the influence of stress induced by the Wenchuan earthquake on the menstrual cycles of surviving women.

Methods. Self-reports of the menstrual cycles of 473 women that survived the Wenchuan earthquake were analyzed. Menstrual regularity was defined as menses between 21 and 35 days long. The death of a child or the loss of property and social resources was verified for all surviving women. The severity of these losses was assessed and graded as high, little, and none.

Results. About 21% of the study participants reported that their menstrual cycles became irregular after the Wenchuan earthquake, and this percentage was significantly higher than before the earthquake (6%, p < 0.05). About 30% of the surviving women with a high degree of loss in the earthquake reported menstrual irregularity after the earthquake. Association analyses showed that some stressors of the Wenchuan earthquake were strongly associated with self-reports of menstrual irregularity, including the loss of children (RR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.28), large amounts of property (RR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.15), social resources (RR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.80) and the hormonal contraception use (RR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.21, 1.83).

Conclusions. Self-reported menstrual irregularity is common in women that survived the Wenchuan earthquake, especially in those who lost children, large amounts of property and social resources.

Keywords:

• Earthquake
• surviving woman
• self-reported menstrual irregularity
• loss

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Population and Family Planning Commission of Mianzhu City, China for supporting this study.