Research reveals air pollutants may amplify risk of severe menstrual cramps among women
In a significant finding, researchers from China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan have published a study in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, revealing the link between long-term exposure to aqi and the increased risk of developing dysmenorrhea. The study, with the DOI 10.3389/fpubh.2021.682341, analysed health measures from a total of 296,078 women and girls between the ages of 16-55 years old, based on long-term data on air quality and public health from national databases in Taiwan.
The study emphasises the importance of air quality as a public health issue, particularly for women and girls of reproductive age. Taichung City in Taiwan showed the highest fluctuations in pollutant levels between 2000 and 2013, contributing to an increased risk of dysmenorrhea among women and girls.
Researchers found that nitrogen oxides (NO, NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) each contributed separately to the increased risk of dysmenorrhea. However, the greatest individual effect was from long-term exposure to high PM2.5 levels.
Dysmenorrhea, a common gynecological disorder affecting 16-91% of girls and women of reproductive age, has no known cure. Its symptoms include cramps, pain in the lower abdomen and back, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, weakness, fatigue, and headaches. The study suggests that long-term exposure to air pollutants such as nitrogen and carbon oxides, as well as fine particulate matter, raises the risk of developing dysmenorrhea.
The risk of developing dysmenorrhea over a period of 13 years was up to 33 times higher among Taiwanese women and girls who lived in areas with the highest levels of air pollutants compared to their peers exposed to lower levels of pollutants. This finding adds to the growing body of evidence linking air pollution to a range of health problems, including dysmenorrhea.
Professor Hsu, the lead researcher, concludes that the results of the study clearly illustrate the need for actions by governmental agencies and citizens to reduce air pollution, in order to improve human health. The study also highlights the major impact of air quality on human health, specifically on the risk of dysmenorrhea in women and girls.
Furthermore, dysmenorrhea can have a major socioeconomic impact as females with dysmenorrhea may be temporarily unable to work, attend school, or engage in leisure activities. Therefore, reducing air pollution could potentially improve not only the health of women and girls but also their health insurance coverage and socioeconomic status.
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