The Effect of Zumba Exercise on Reducing Menstrual Pain in Young Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Study objective: To study the effectiveness of performing Zumba exercise on the severity and duration of pain in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Cairo University gynecology Hospital and Bahgat gym and fitness center.

Participants: Ninety-eight women diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea.

Interventions: Study participants were divided randomly into 2 equal groups: group I included women who engaged in Zumba exercise for 60 minutes twice weekly for 8 weeks, and group II was a control group with no intervention.

Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was the menstrual pain intensity measured using the visual analogue scale scores at 4 and 8 weeks after starting Zumba exercise. The secondary outcome was the difference in the duration of pain in both groups.

Results: Both groups were homogeneous regarding the baseline demographic characteristics. The severity of primary dysmenorrhea at the beginning of the study was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Menstrual pain intensity was significantly decreased in the Zumba group after 4 and 8 weeks of Zumba compared with the control group (mean difference, -2.94 [95% confidence interval, -3.39 to -2.48] and -3.79 [95% confidence interval, -4.16 to -3.43], respectively; P = .001). Also, the duration of pain was shorter in the Zumba group compared with the control group at 8 weeks (4.92 ± 1.90 vs 9.10 ± 2.92 hours, respectively; P = .001).

Conclusion: The Zumba intervention can reduce the severity and duration of menstrual pain thus suggesting that regularly performing Zumba might be a possible complementary treatment for primary dysmenorrhea.

Keywords: Exercise; Menstrual pain; Primary dysmenorrhea; Zumba.