Exploring the Relationship Between Lifestyle Choices and Menstrual Health.

INTRODUCTION: Many international studies have worked to understand the relationship between lifestyle factors, like nutrition and risky behaviors, and menstrual health in young women. This study focuses on understanding the relationship between lifestyle choices and period irregularity in adolescents and young adult women in the United States specifically. METHODS: This prospective study utilized an online survey that was distributed to women ages 10-25 years old at the North Florida Pediatrics clinic and Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. The primary endpoint focused on analyzing the relationship between fast food frequency and menstrual health characteristics, including menstrual period regularity, menstrual period duration, and menstrual cycle length. Secondary endpoints focused on analyzing the relationship between menarche and risky behaviors, including drug and alcohol use. Exclusion criteria included a personal history of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, or other menstrual-related conditions and current birth control use. RESULTS: A total of 90 responses were collected from the survey and used for data analysis. After implementing exclusion criteria, responses from 29 adolescent and young women were used for analysis of the relationship between fast food frequency and menstrual health. No statistically significant association was found between fast food frequency and period regularity (p=0.7), length of menstrual cycle (p=0.66), and length of menstrual period (p=0.16). Due to a limited sample size (n=15), analysis between menarche and sexual activity was performed, but demonstrated no statistically significant relationship (p>0.9). DISCUSSION: Our data did not show a statistically significant relationship between the menstrual variables and lifestyle factors surveyed. Further research should be completed to investigate the relationship between fast food consumption and menstrual abnormalities. Additional lifestyle factor endpoints, such as tobacco and alcohol use or exercise frequency, should be investigated to better understand the impact of habits on menstruation.