The Role of Menstruation Attitudes on Menstrual Symptoms in Female Athletes

Abstract

This study aims to examine the relationship between attitudes towards menstruation and menstrual symptoms in female athletes. Although the effects of menstruation on the physiological, psychological and performance status of female athletes have been widely discussed in the literature, the role of attitudes on symptom experience has been limitedly researched. The study was conducted on 148 female athletes who regularly train at the Physical Education and Sports College of Mardin Artuklu University. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire measuring their attitudes towards menstruation and a questionnaire measuring their menstrual symptoms. The research was conducted on 148 female athletes who regularly train at the Mardin Artuklu University School of Physical Education and Sports. Participants were administered the Attitude Towards Menstruation Scale and the Menstrual Symptom Scale. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS 25.0 and the Pearson correlation test was employed. Findings revealed a positive, significant relationship between attitudes toward menstruation as a distressing phenomenon and negative effects and somatic complaints (p < 0.05). Additionally, the subscale of perceiving menstrual effects was found to be inversely related to negative symptoms. No significant relationship was observed between menstrual pain symptoms and attitudes. It was concluded that attitudes influence the cognitive and emotional dimensions of symptoms, while physiological pain symptoms are primarily attributed to biological factors. In conclusion, it was determined that negative attitudes toward menstruation could increase female athletes' perception of menstrual symptoms and negatively affect their coping strategies. In this regard, it is recommended to develop educational and support programmes aimed at increasing menstrual awareness among female athletes.

Keywords

• Female Athletes
• Menstruation
• Attitudes
• Menstrual Symptoms
• Sports Performance

Menstrüasyon Tutumlarının Kadın Sporcularda Menstrüel Semptomlar Üzerindeki Rolü

Öz

Bu çalışma, kadın sporcularda menstrüasyona yönelik tutumlar ile menstrüel semptomlar arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Menstrüasyonun kadın sporcuların fizyolojik, psikolojik ve performansla ilgili durumlar üzerindeki etkileri literatürde geniş yer bulmasına rağmen, tutumların semptom deneyimi üzerindeki rolü sınırlı araştırılmıştır. Araştırma, Mardin Artuklu Üniversitesi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Yüksekokulu’nda düzenli antrenman yapan 148 kadın sporcu üzerinde yürütülmüştür. Katılımcılara, Menstrüasyona Yönelik Tutum Ölçeği ve Menstrüasyon Semptom Ölçeği uygulanmıştır. Veriler IBM SPSS 25.0 programıyla analiz edilmiş ve Pearson korelasyon testi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, Rahatsız edici bir olgu olarak menstrüasyon tutumu ile negatif etkiler ve somatik yakınmalar arasında pozitif, anlamlı ilişki olduğunu göstermiştir (p < 0,05). Ayrıca, menstrüasyon etkilerini fark etme alt boyutunun negatif semptomlarla ters yönlü ilişkili olduğu bulunmuştur. Menstrüel ağrı belirtileri ile tutumlar arasında ise anlamlı ilişki gözlenmemiştir. Tutumların, semptomların bilişsel ve duygusal boyutlarını ile ilişkili olduğu, fizyolojik ağrı semptomlarının ise daha çok biyolojik faktörlerden kaynaklandığı sonucuna varılmıştır. Sonuç olarak, menstrüasyona yönelik olumsuz tutumların kadın sporcuların menstrüel semptom algılarını ile ilişkili olduğu ve başa çıkma stratejilerini olumsuz yönde etkileyebileceği düşünülmektedir. Bu doğrultuda, kadın sporculara yönelik menstrüasyon farkındalığını artırıcı eğitim ve destek programlarının geliştirilmesi önerilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kadın Sporcular
• Menstruasyon
• Tutum
• Menstrüel Semptomlar
• Spor Performansı

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