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The Effects of Abuse History and Age on the Interrelationship between Perceived Stress and Premenstrual Symptom Reports

Danielle L Reaves, Ashley Maddox, Sarah Ballard and Kathleen B Lustyk

Abuse remains a pervasive issue for women throughout their lifespan, with far-reaching consequences on a woman’s physical and mental health. Previous studies have suggested that among other health issues, women who have been abused have higher reports of perceived stress (STRESS) and more severe premenstrual symptomatology. The current study assessed the effects of abuse history and age of abuse on the relationship between STRESS and Premenstrual Symptom Reports (PMSR) in women between 18 – 25 years. On the Abuse Questionnaire, participants indicated whether abuse events occurred as a child (< 14 years of age) or an adult (> 14 years). Both PMSR and STRESS were greater in women with an abuse history. Moreover, the age of abuse significantly predicted both STRESS and PMSR over and above abuse history in general. To further probe these findings, interaction analyses were performed. Results revealed a significant interaction between abuse age and STRESS on PMSR, indicating more severe symptomatology with increased stress among women who were abused as children. These findings assert the relationship between abuse and detrimental physical health outcomes, while specifically highlighting that abuse age affects the relationship between STRESS and PMSR in women.