Abstract

Background: Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is one of the most common psychosomatic disorders in women of reproductive age, affecting their daily activities. This syndrome also has a negative impact on marital satisfaction and marital adjustment. Therefore, a study was conducted in 2022 with the aim of investigating the effect of an educational intervention in women with premenstrual syndrome and their spouses on marital satisfaction and marital adjustment in comprehensive health centers in Qom City.

Method: This interventional study was conducted on two groups in 2022, including 41 participants in the intervention group and 39 participants in the control group who were referred to healthcare centers of Qom University of Medical Sciences. Sampling was conducted through multi-stage sampling. Data collection tools included a Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool, the Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS), and the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale. The individuals in the intervention group received educational sessions on PMS over four sessions, each lasting two hours. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 16, utilizing t-tests and Chi-squared tests. A significant level of 0.05 was considered.

Results: A statistically significant difference was observed in the mean score of the Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire between the intervention and control groups after the intervention (p = 0.01). Additionally, there were significant differences in the mean scores of the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale's total score (p = 0.019), correlation dimension (p = 0.001), and affection expression dimension (p = 0.044) between the two groups after the intervention.

Conclusion: Educating couples about Premenstrual sSyndrome (PMS) can lead to increased marital satisfaction and marital adjustment. It is recommended that structured educational programs on PMS and support for affected women's spouses be implemented in healthcare centers.

Keywords: Premenstrual syndrome, marital adjustment, marital satisfaction, Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS), psychosomatic disorders, spanier dyadic adjustment scale.

Graphical Abstract