Depressive symptoms and menstrual distress according to the menstrual phase in nurses: the Korea Nurses’ Health Study

Objective: This study aimed to identify the level of menstrual distress among nurses during the premenstrual and menstrual phases and to investigate associations between depressive symptoms and menstrual distress. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted using data from the Korea Nurses’ Health Study. We used data from December 2018 to September 2019. A total of 6878 nurses was selected for final analysis. Data on demographic characteristics, women’s health-related variables, shift work, sleep quality, depressive symptoms and menstrual distress were collected. Descriptive statistics, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used. Results: Depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with menstrual distress in both premenstrual and menstrual phases (premenstrual phase B = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.49–1.71; menstrual phase B = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.54–1.76) after controlling for demographic characteristics, women’s health-related variables, shift work and sleep quality. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the importance of tailored care for menstrual distress based on the menstrual phase and the significance of depressive symptoms in the management of menstrual distress.