Relationship between food consumption, physical exercise and primary dismenorrhea in women aged 18 to 40 years in Belém-PA

Abstract

Introduction: Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the main complaints among 50 to 90% of the women, being usually accompanied by other symptoms that compromise their daily activities. Because diet and physical exercise contribute to a number of benefits, such as the reduction of chronic non-communicable diseases, it is important to check whether food consumption and physical activity benefit in improving the picture. Objective: To analyze the relationship between dietary intake, physical exercise and primary dysmenorrhoea. Materials and Methods: Fifty volunteers were evaluated, 25 of the control group with sedentary women and 25 physical exercise practitioners. A questionnaire was applied with questions related to food consumption and exercise. To verify the intensity of menstrual cramps, the Visual Analog Pain Scale (EVA) was used according to Collins et al. (1997). Discussion: Women who practiced physical exercise had a lower intensity in menstrual colic when compared to sedentary women. Regarding the food consumption of the interviewees, there was a higher prevalence for sweet foods (chocolate), both sedentary and physical exercise. Results: It can be observed that 88% of the physical exercise practitioners reported feeling the intensity of the colic between mild and moderate, and of the sedentary women, 92% reported feeling the intensity of moderate to intense. 80% of the women interviewed in both groups reported preference for sweet foods, this being chocolate. There were no significant correlations between the variables. Conclusion: The regular practice of physical exercise and a balanced diet are positive strategies to ameliorate the symptoms inherent to primary dysmenorrhea.