Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecological condition reported by women, and 33% to 50% of them report moderate to severe symptoms. It is defined by menstrual pain in the pelvic region and lower abdomen that can be associated or not to other secondary gynecological conditions (e.g., endometriosis, myoma, adenomyosis). The symptoms are frequently associated with others and can affect women's quality of life and functioning, such as missing school/university/work, decreased sleep quality and fatigue. Those symptoms can be intensified by emotional stress, lower social support and lower socioeconomic conditions. Given the great interference of dysmenorrhea in various spheres of life, a comprehensive evaluation of disability and functioning is necessary for this population.

To analyze functioning and the affected domains in women with dysmenorrhea.

Cross-sectional and online study conducted between 2022 and 2023 with 2,609 Brazilian adult women with dysmenorrhea (27.7 ± 7.4 years old). Pregnant women, with 6 months of puerperium and transgender were excluded. The translated and validated Brazilian Portuguese version of WHODAS-12 for women with dysmenorrhea was used. The WHODAS-12 is an instrument with 12 items developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to briefly assess health and disability and provide the level of general functioning of the following domains: life activities, mobility, cognition, social participation, self-care, and interpersonal relationships. All the items and domains are directly linked to International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The maximum score of each domain is 10 points and the higher the score, the greater the disability. Data were analyzed descriptively and presented as the mean and standard deviation in SPSS 22.

The average of life activities domain was 4.7 ± 1.8 points, the mobility domain had 4.5 ± 2 points, the cognition domain had 4.4 ± 1.8 points, social participation had 4.8 ± 2 points, self-care had 2.6 ± 1.2 points, and interpersonal relationships had 4 ± 1.9 points. Interpersonal relationships and life activities were the most affected domains in women with dysmenorrhea.

In addition to pain intensity, the WHODAS-12 provided a screening of other domains of functionality that may be affected in women with dysmenorrhea, such as social participation and activities of daily living.

From the use of the WHODAS-12, it is possible to evaluate important aspects that are relevant beyond the intensity of pain in women with dysmenorrhea. Thus, clinicians can use WHODAS-12 as a specific and individualized therapeutic goal by approaching the woman from an integrality perspective. In addition, it is also possible to have a broader view of the impact of dysmenorrhea on the quality of life and functioning of Brazilian women.