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Purpose: This research was to determine the characteristics of dysmenorrhea among girls, identify the factors affecting dysmenorrhea. Method: The study subjects were 1653 high school student in Busan Metropolitan city. The data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire between November 1 and November 30, 2002. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA with Scheffe´ test, and stepwise multiple regression analysis in SPSS program were used for data analysis. Result: Students suffering from slight dysmenorrhea made up the majority 52.9%, whereas those with serious cases represented 29.8%. Regarding the measures taken to cope with dysmenorrhea, most of the respondents took analgesics 52.8%. A high points of dysmenorrhea was associated with irregular meal habits(p <0.01), unbalanced diet(p <0.05), stress(p <0.01), and health awareness(p <0.01), first menstruation before they reached 13 (p <0.01), heavy bleeding(p <0.01), family history(p <0.01). Factors affecting the dysmennorrhea of the respondents included the extent of bleeding, family history, health awareness, age during the first menstruation, and degree of stress, accounting for 13.1% of the total variance. Conclusion: To manage dysmenorrhea among girls, the results of the research indicate that students need to have proper awareness of health and manage stress through health education. Likewise, they need to be given positive follow-up management through a holistic nursing approach.
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