Menstrual eduation, health and physical education - a study conducted with portuguese young girls

Abstract

Portuguese young girls, who usually reach their menarche from the age of 12/13, are faced with biological and emotional factors that, compared to their male counterparts, create an inequality of opportunity for the practice of physical and sports activity (PSA) in the school curriculum, through Physical Education (PE), which for the World Health Organization is a practice that helps to develop physical abilities, to increase the general pleasure in physical and sporting practice, and has a real impact on counteracting a sedentary lifestyle. The physical state of the (pre)menstrual period, whose systemic effects include a state of inflammation that imposes several physical
limitations, is still not widely addressed in the school context and is rarely considered for the practice of Physical Education, reflecting in the short and medium term on adolescents’ health and well-being. This research aimed to
understand factors perceived by a group of Portuguese female students regarding their (pre)menstrual mood, which interferes with their well-being, in the context of Sports and Physical Activity in Physical Education practice.
It was a cross-sectional study using quantitative methodology, conducted with a sample of 461 Portuguese young female students, aged between 17 and 21. Data was collected during July 2024, using a questionnaire created in Google Forms, which complied with ethical procedures, including an informed consent form at the beginning,
safeguarding voluntary participation, confidentiality and anonymity. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 29. The results showed that for a large number of university student girls, the physical symptoms of the (pre)menstrual state influence the practice of PSA at school. In this context, Physical Education does not create the best conditions to increase the general pleasure in physical activity, reducing the differences with their male colleagues and promoting active lifestyle habits, which are important for their health, in the short, medium and long term.