Prevalence of dysmenorrhea and associated factors among students in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common gynecological complaints among adolescent women. It has been associated with short-term absenteeism in school and has a negative impact on academic and daily activities. Therefore, the aim of the study was to show the evidence on the magnitude and correlates of dysmenorrhea in Ethiopia. Method: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched the literature from different databases such as PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, PsycINFO, and Cochrane library. We also used unpublished literature from Google, Google Scholar. The quality of the included articles was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data were extracted using a Microsoft Excel data extraction format. STATA version 14 statistical software was used for data analysis. To assess the heterogeneity of the primary articles, the Cochrane Q test statistics and the I2 test were carried out. Publication bias was inspected by funnel plot, and Egger’s test was performed to confirm the presence of publication bias. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of dysmenorrhea and its associated factors. Result: A total of 12 studies were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence estimate of dysmenorrhea among female students in Ethiopia is 71.69% (66.82%–76.56%). In our systematic review, among factors associated with dysmenorrhea, the family history of dysmenorrhea was frequently reported in included studies. Therefore, dysmenorrhea was significantly associated with a family history of dysmenorrhea (adjusted odds ratio = 4.69 (95% confidence interval: 2.80–7.85)). Conclusion: The pooled prevalence estimate of dysmenorrhea among students was much higher in Ethiopia. Health professionals and teachers should educate and support students to follow their menstrual cycle regularly in the event of irregular periods. There should be an awareness of the negative consequences of dysmenorrhea to reduce the physical and psychological stresses that affect women and their families.