الفهرس 
Introduction and RationaleOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Dysmenorrhoea, or painful menstruation, is defined as a severe, painful cramping sensation in the lower abdomen. It may be accompanied by headache, dizziness, diarrhoea, a bloated feeling, nausea and vomiting, backache and leg pains. It is the most common gynaecological complaint among adolescents.
Estimates of the prevalence of dysmenorrhea vary widely (16.8% to 81%), and rates as high as 90% have been recorded among adolescents and young adult females. Symptoms typically begin in adolescence and may lead to school and work absenteeism, as well as limitations on social, academic, and sports activities.
Our cross-sectional study objectives were to assess the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among adolescent girls, to determine the psychological impact of dysmenorrhea on adolescent girls and to detect the differences between adolescent girls with and without dysmenorrhea regarding the frequency and severity of psychosomatic manifestations (somatic symptoms, anxiety/ insomnia, social dysfunction and depressive disorders).
Then we used General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) for the detection of the absence or presence of distress. Our sample included 520 adolescent girls from 4 Port-Fouad and Port-Said Secondary schools. The enrolled girls were evaluated for the presence of the characteristic symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea to assess the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among them.
The participants were subdivided into two groups according to the presence or absence of dysmenorrhea to compare between girls with and without dysmenorrhea regarding the frequency of psychosomatic manifestations. General characteristics including age, obesity and gynecological data including age at menarche, irregularity of the menstrual