Psychological and physical stress response and incidence of irregular menstruation in female university employees: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background This study aimed to assess a clinical relevance of three-dimensional occupational stress (job stressor score [A score], psychological and physical stress response score [B score], and social support for workers score [C score]) of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) in the national stress check program in Japan to irregular menstruation.

Methods The present retrospective cohort study included 2,078 female employees aged 19–45 years who had both annual health checkups and the BJSQ between April 2019 and March 2022 in a national university in Japan. The outcome was self-reported irregular menstruation measured at annual health checkups until March 2023. A dose-dependent association between BJSQ scores and incidence of irregular menstruation was examined using Cox proportional hazards models to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of four quantile (0–49% [Q_0–49], 50–74% [Q_50–74], 75–89% [Q_75–89], and 90–100% [Q_90–100]) of the BJSQ scores.

Results During 2.0 years of the median observational period, 257 (12.4%) women reported irregular menstruation. B score, not A or C scores, was identified as a significant predictor of irregular menstruation (adjusted HR [95% confidence interval] of A, B, and C scores per 1 standard deviation: 1.06 [0.89–1.27], 1.35 [1.15–1.57], and 0.93 [0.80–1.08], respectively). Women with higher B score had a significantly higher risk of irregular menstruation in a dose-dependent manner (adjusted HR [95% confidence interval] of Q_0–49, Q_50–74, Q_75–89, and Q_90–100: 1.00 [reference], 1.38 [1.00–1.90], 1.48 [1.00–2.18], and 2.18 [1.38–3.43], respectively).

Conclusions Psychological and physical stress response predicted irregular menstruation.