Abstract
Purpose
This study investigated the association between menstrual symptoms and the intention to leave work among female nurses in Japan.
Methods
This cross-sectional study investigated female nurses (n = 317) at two university hospitals. The items measured were their characteristics (e.g., age, body mass index), “intention to leave” work, somatic symptoms related with menstruation, self-reported menstrual characteristics (e.g., pain), physical workloads (e.g., working hours and night shifts) and psychological workloads, measured with the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). Participants with at least four somatic symptoms (e.g., cold, fatigue) which are present during their menstrual cycles were considered to have “somatic symptoms associated with menstruation.” We also measured serum ovarian and gonadotropin-releasing hormones.
Results
Approximately 40% of women answered “intention to leave” work, and 17% had “somatic symptoms associated with menstruation.” Multiple logistic regression analysis suggested that nurses reporting “somatic symptoms associated with menstruation” were more likely to have “intention to leave” work: the adjusted odds ratios (AOR, 95% confidence interval [CI]) were 2.15 (1.12–4.11) in the personal-burnout model, 2.23 (1.16–4.31) in the work-related burnout model, 2.91 (1.52–5.56) in the client-related burnout model; 2.96 (1.50–5.82) in the JCQ model. There was no association between serum and gonadotropin hormones and the intention to leave.
Conclusion
Somatic symptoms with menstruation were associated with intention to leave work among female Japanese nurses. Intervention for somatic symptoms with menstruation might support nurses to continue work.
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Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Mrs. Akiko Tsuchiya for her support in data collection.
Funding
This study was funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (Grants for Scientific Research [B], Number 21H03192 and Number 21H03193, respectively).
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Conceptualization: KN; Methodology: KN, JH; Software: KN, YO, JH; Validation: YO, KN; Writing—Original draft preparation: YO; Writing—Reviewing and Editing: EM; Data Collection and Data Management: KA, MO; Resources: JK, MN, RY, HI, TK, HS, HO; Validation: HH, OH.
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Ota, Y., Nomura, K., Hirayama, J. et al. Relationship between somatic symptoms with menstruation and intention to leave work among university hospital nurses in Japan: a cross-sectional study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 96, 155–166 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-022-01905-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-022-01905-0