Correlation between physical fitness and primary dysmenorrhea in teenagers students at a state junior high school in Gianyar

Primary dysmenorrhea or menstrual cramps without pelvic pathology is a common health problem among women in reproductive age. Primary dysmenorrhea usually occurs within 6-24 months post-menarche and at the age of around 20 years old. Physical activity has been claimed to have beneficial effects on primary dysmenorrhea, yet high-quality evidence is lacking. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea in teenagers students and its correlation with physical fitness. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 71 female students at a state junior high school namely SMP Negeri 3 in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia. Physical fitness was measured using Indonesian Physical Fitness Test (Tes Kesegaran Jasmani Indonesia, TKJI) while dysmenorrhea data were collected by using questionnaires and analysed using Somers’d test. The results show that the physical fitness level of 8.5% participants were very low, 50.7% were low, 35.2% were moderate, and 5.6% were high. Moreover, 78.9% of the participants were experiencing dysmenorrhea while 21.1% of them were not. Statistical analysis indicated that there was a significant correlation between physical fitness and dysmenorrhea (p<0.005). Therefore, we conclude that there is a significant positive correlation between physical fitness and dysmenorrhea.