INTRODUCTION:

Women health is linked to the status of women in society and the cultured those brows within this structured. There are women health issue which include breast cancer ovarian cancer, menopause, dysmenorrhea and other but there was a few health conditions that tends to ignore or overlook that are killing women. Women’s health are refers to branch of medicine that focus on the treatment and diagnosis of disease and conditions that effect a women physical and emotional well-being².

Dysmenorrhea is defined as the cramps or painful menstruation or termed as menstrual cramps. Dysmenorrhea is cyclic lower abdominal or pelvic pain which may radiate to the back and thighs It occurs before or during menstruation. Cramps and pain are experienced in lower abdomen after regular ovulation is established. It is the most common gynaecological complaint among adolescent girls ad married women³

Menstrual cramps or dysmenorrhea happen when a chemical released called prostaglandins make the uterus contract if the uterus contract to strongly it can press nearby blood vessels cutting of supply of oxygen to muscles tissue feel pain. The main cause of dysmenorrhea is primary cause and secondary causes. primary causes are -abnormal contraction of the uterus due to chemical imbalance in the body. Secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by other medical condition most often endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine fibroids⁴.

During painful menstruation women or girls feel lethargy, tiredness, depression, inability to concentrate onward, irritability, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, tenderness of breast, pain and swelling in ankle and knee joint, sleepiness and gastrointestinal symptoms, fainting, loss of appetite etc⁵.

Dysmenorrhea can be managed by pharmacological and non-pharmacological management Pharmacological management such as anti-inflammatory drugs ibuprofen, analgesic drugs acetaminophen, diclofenac, tocolytic agent meftal etc. The non-pharmacological management of dysmenorrhea is eaten healthy diet, heat pad, acupuncture or acupressure, yoga, relaxation or breathing exercise. Non pharmacological management is safe as comparison to pharmacological management⁶.

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

A comparative study to assess the knowledge regarding dysmenorrhea among adolescent girls and married women’s at selected areas of District Chamba (H.P).

OBJECTIVES:

1. To assess the level of knowledge regarding dysmenorrhea among adolescent girls and married women.

2. To compare the level of knowledge regarding dysmenorrhea among adolescent girls and married women.

3. To find out the association level of knowledge regarding adolescent girls and married women with socio-demographic variables.

HYPOTHESIS:

H0: There will be no significant difference between level of knowledge regarding dysmenorrhea among adolescent girls and married women

H1: There will be significant difference between level of knowledge regarding dysmenorrhea among adolescent girls and married women.

METHODOLOGY:

RESEARCH APPROACH: Quantitative Research Approach.

RESEARCH DESIGN: Non-experimental comparative research design.

RESEARCH SETTING: Selected areas of district Chamba i.e Sarol and Pukhri.

Target Population were adolescent girls and married women

Tools:

· Socio Demographic variables

· Self Structured Knowledge Questionniers

RESULT:

Table 1: Frequency and percentage (%) distribution of adolescent girls and married women according to socio demographic variables. N-60

Socio-demographic variable	Group-1 (n-30)		Group-2 (n-30)
	F	%	F	%
1. Age (in years)
(a)16-18	17	57	0	0
(b)18-21	13	43	3	10
(c)21-23	0	0	12	40
(d)23-25	0	0	15	50
2. Education
(a)up to primary	1	3	4	13
(b)up to secondary	8	27	2	7
(c)senior secondary	16	53	4	13
(d)graduate	5	17	18	60
(e)above graduate	0	0	2	7
3. Occupation
(a)student	27	90	7	23
(b) working	1	3	4	14
(c) non – working	2	7	19	63
4.Type of family
(a)nuclear	20	67	8	27
(b) joint	9	30	21	70
(c) expanded	1	3	1	3
5. Family income(in(rs/month))
(a) <10,000	8	27	11	37
(b) 10,001-20,000	10	33	3	10
(c) 20,001-30,000	5	17	9	30
(d)>30,00	7	23	7	23
6. Dietary pattern
(a) vegetarian	11	37	5	17
(b) non vegetarian	18	60	24	80
(c) eggetarian	1	3	1	3
7. Religion
(a) Hindu	28	93	29	97
(b) Muslims	2	7	1	3
(c) Sikhism	0	0	0	0
(d) Christians	0	0	0	0
8. Family history of
dysmenorrhea
(a) yes	17	57	15	50
(b) no	13	43	15	50
9. Any history of substance abuse (such as alcohol, smoking etc)
(a) yes	5	17	30	100
(b) no	25	83	0	0
10.Source of information
(a) mass media	6	20	8	26
(b) health care personnel	4	13	5	17
(c) family members and relative	20	67	17	57

Table -2 Frequency and percentage (%) distribution among adolescent girls and married women according to level of knowledge in group-I and group –II

Level of knowledge	Criteria measure	Grou p -I		Grou p -II
		N	%	N	%
Good	21--30	11	37	2	7
Average	11-20	19	63	25	83
Poor	0-10	0	0	3	10

Table-3 Comparison of level of knowledge regarding dysmenorrhea among adolescent girls and married women in group-I and group-II

Group-I

Group-II

t-value

Level of knowledge

Mean

S D

t- value

19.5

4.4

15.36

3.65

9.50

Analysis of study indicated that the result of present study show that the level of knowledge among adolescent girls is more than married women.

Finding related to association of knowledge score with the demographic variables among adolescent’s girls Result reveled that there was significant association with age, education status, occupation, types of family. There was no significant association with family income, dietary pattern, religion, family history substance abuse and source of information.

Finding related to association of knowledge score with the demographic variables among married women.

Result revealed that there was no significant association of demographic variables with age, education, occupation, types of family, family income, dietary pattern, religion, family history of any substance abuse and source of information.

IMPLICATIONS:

a) Nursing Education:

Nursing curriculum should provide an opportunity to students to provide the information regarding dysmenorrhea. Nursing person should develop in depth knowledge regarding dysmenorrhea. Nurse should be knowledgeable regarding definition, causes, risk factors, symptoms, management of dysmenorrhea. Nurses should encourage adolescent’s girlsand married women regarding dysmenorrhea⁷.

b) Nursing Practice:

As obstetrical and gynaecological nurse can assume more responsibility to give the information to adolescent’s girls and married women regarding dysmennorhea. A gynaecological nurse can be helpful in educating the adolescent’s girls and married women regarding dysmenorrhea. The nurse educator needs to equip with adequate knowledge regarding dysmenorrhea among adolescent’s girls and married women⁸.

c) Nursing Administration:

Nurse administrator should organize awareness program in community area regarding dysmenorrhea. Nurse administrator should give the awareness program in community people regarding dysmenorrhea Nurse administrator should emphasize and encourage adolescent girls and married women.

d) Nursing Research:

Encourage further researcher to conduct the study regarding dysmennorhea. Disseminate the findings of research through conference, seminars and publishing in nursing journals. Encourage for the research to conduct the study regarding dysmenorrhea.

CONCLUSION:

Research study concluded that adolescent girls had more knowledge regarding dysmenorrhea as compare to married women. Education and awareness must given to all girls and women regarding management of dysmenorrhea.

REFERENCES:

1. Brunner and Suddharth. Text Book of Medical Surgical Nursing. 12^thedition. NewYork. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Publications: Volume I. 2010, 716-718

2. Khanna A Gopal, R.S.et al. menstrual practices and reproductive problem: A study of adolescent girls in Rajasthan. Journal of Health Management. 2005; 7:91-107

3. Introduction to acupressure (online). Available for relieving dysmenorrhea from:http://www.learntcm.com/

4. K.J. Berkey, Primary Dysmenorrhea: an urgent mandate: International Association for the study of Pain. 2013; 21(3): 1-8

5. Gopal Singh Charan, Akash Preet Kaur, Ujala Joshi. A cross-sectional study to assess the knowledge regarding prtimary dysmenorrheal among adolescents girls. https://www.ijhsr.org/IJHSR_Vol.9_Issue. 8_Aug2019/46pdf

6. Sharma K Suresh, Nursing Research and Statistics, 2^nd Edition (2014), New Delhi: Elsevier Private Limited Pp175-178

7. M. Zarian, Z. Abedian, S. Mazolom. Self-management in Primary Dysmenorrhea: toward evidence based education. Life Science Journal. 2011; 8(2): 13-18

8. Dutta, D C. (2011). Text Book of Obstetrics and Gynecology.7^th edition, Calcutta: New Central, Jaypee Publishers, Pp 217-21

Received on 04.09.2025 Revised on 22.10.2025

Accepted on 01.12.2025 Published on 23.02.2026

Available online from February 25, 2026

Int. J. Nursing Education and Research. 2026;14(1):47-49.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2660.2026.00010

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