Grant: Project Grant

One in four youth who menstruate report experiencing dysmenorrhea, or menstrual pain, that is severe or very severe. Despite the significant disruption that dysmenorrhea can cause in the lives of youth, little is known about its typical onset and trajectory in the early menstruation years. In addition to the direct suffering that dysmenorrhea causes, among adults, dysmenorrhea co-occurs with other chronic pain conditions, thus raising suspicion that exposure to poorly managed menstrual pain may actually alter future pain experiences and increase the risk of chronic pain conditions. In spite of the suggested link between dysmenorrhea and other pain conditions, this association has not been examined in children and adolescents. The proposed project will longitudinally track children from pre- to post- menarche in order to identify pre-menarche psychological and social influences of dysmenorrhea in youth (aim 1), examine whether there is a relationship between pre-menarche pain complaints, dysmenorrhea severity, and the development of chronic pain in adolescence (aim 2) and map the trajectory of the onset of dysmenorrhea in youth and factors that may contribute to the condition (aim 3). Across three phases spanning from before the onset of menstruation to 3 years after menarche, the child's pain experiences surrounding each menstrual period, as well as the emergence of other pain disorders, will be carefully assessed via parent and child questionnaires. Data will be analysed to identify predictors of dysmenorrhea, and classify trajectories of dysmenorrhea onset and to identify any associations with pre-existing or new incidences of pain conditions. As the first study of its kind to examine dysmenorrhea and co-occurring pain at their onset, the findings of this project will result in implications central to the development of prevention and education programs for youth and families of youth who menstruate and who are at risk for dysmenorrhea and chronic pain.