# Association Between Pregnancy Hope and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Among Female Workers: A Cross‐Sectional Online Survey in Japan

## TL;DR

A study in Japan found that hoping for pregnancy among working women was not linked to premenstrual dysphoric disorder but was weakly tied to more severe symptoms.

## Contribution

The study is the first to explore the relationship between pregnancy hope and PMDD in working women using a large-scale survey.

## Key findings

- Pregnancy hope was not associated with PMDD diagnosis.
- Pregnancy hope was weakly linked to higher symptom severity scores.
- No significant interaction was found between pregnancy hope and marital status regarding PMDD outcomes.

## Abstract

This cross‐sectional study examined the association between pregnancy hope and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) outcomes among full‐time working women.

We analyzed an October 2023 survey of nulligravid women aged 20–44 years (N = 1947). PMDD diagnosis and symptom severity were assessed using a DSM‐IV‐based scale. Logistic and linear regression examined associations with pregnancy hope and tested interaction by marital status.

PMDD prevalence was 5.4% with pregnancy hope and 4.8% without. Pregnancy hope was not associated with PMDD diagnosis (crude OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.71–1.80) and remained null after adjustment. Pregnancy hope was weakly associated with higher symptom scores (crude standardized β = 0.059, p = 0.009), persisting after adjustment. Interaction by marital status was not significant.

Among full‐time workers, pregnancy hope was unrelated to PMDD diagnosis but was weakly associated with subthreshold symptom severity. Longitudinal studies that comprehensively assess multidimensional pregnancy intention, perceptions of menstruation, and work‐related constraints are needed to clarify causal directionality and mechanisms.

In a survey of 1947 female workers, pregnancy hope was not associated with a PMDD diagnosis but showed a weak association with greater severity of subthreshold symptoms. To clarify causal directionality and underlying mechanisms, longitudinal studies are needed that comprehensively assess multidimensional pregnancy intentions, perceptions of menstruation, and work‐related constraints.