Sugar craving and stress levels during different phases of menstrual cycle among university students

• Main Authors: Mohd Shukri, Nor Azwani, Syafie, Riyadhina Husniyati, Wan Mahmood, Wan Fathin Fariza
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: Nutrition Society of Malaysia (NSM) 2023
• Subjects: RM214 Diet therapy. Diet and dietectics in disease
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/105753/1/105753_Sugar%20craving.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/105753/7/105753_Sugar%20craving_SCOPUS.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/105753/; https://nutriweb.org.my/mjn/online-first.php

Introduction: The menstrual cycle in women is often associated with appetite control, mood, and behavioural changes due to hormonal imbalance. However, levels of sugar craving and stress during pre- and post-menstrual periods have not been thoroughly studied. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare levels of stress and sugar cravings during different phases of menstrual cycle among university students. Methods: Participants aged 19–25 years were assessed for sugar craving and stress during pre- and post-menstrual periods. They were requested to fill out the Sugar Craving Assessment Tool (SCAT) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) questionnaires on the first day of menses (the pre-menses phase) by recalling how they felt throughout the past seven days. The participants completed the same set of questionnaires again two days after their menses ended (post-menses phase) by recalling how they felt within the previous two days. Results: Ninety-three students participated in the study. Pre-menstrual SCAT score (40.0±19.6) was higher than post-menstrual SCAT score (32.1±19.4), t(91)=4.82, p<0.001. Mean PSS-10 score was also higher before menstruation (22.8±6.2) than after menstruation (17.5±6.1), t(91)=6.26, p<0.001. There was no significant difference in mean sugar craving scores of different stress categories, either during pre-menses [F(2,90)=1.39, p=0.256] or post-menses [F(2,90)=0.89, p=0.415]. Conclusion: The findings indicate that levels of sugar craving and stress were higher during pre-menstrual phase compared to post-menstrual phase in young adults. However, whether sugar cravings are linked to stress during the menstrual cycle is inconclusive and requires further investigation.