Adolescents, menstruation, and physical activity: insights from a global scoping review
Abstract Background Adolescent girls tend to be less physically active than boys, a trend that coincides with puberty. Menstruation may act as a barrier to physical activity, which in turn may influence menstrual symptoms. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesise the global literature on...
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2025-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Women's Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03825-w |
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| author | Jessica Harvey Max J. Western Nick P. Townsend Jessica Francombe-Webb Simon Sebire Olivia S. Malkowski Masha Remskar Ella Burfitt Emma Solomon-Moore |
| author_facet | Jessica Harvey Max J. Western Nick P. Townsend Jessica Francombe-Webb Simon Sebire Olivia S. Malkowski Masha Remskar Ella Burfitt Emma Solomon-Moore |
| author_sort | Jessica Harvey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Adolescent girls tend to be less physically active than boys, a trend that coincides with puberty. Menstruation may act as a barrier to physical activity, which in turn may influence menstrual symptoms. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesise the global literature on the association between menstruation and physical activity among adolescents. Methods A systematic search was conducted across five databases, identifying studies on menstruation and physical activity in adolescents (aged 10–18 years) without date restrictions. Studies not in English, including only athlete populations and focusing solely on premenstrual syndrome were excluded. Titles and abstracts, followed by full texts were screened by two independent reviewers. Results Eighty-six studies were included, spanning 33 countries. Thematic synthesis of data from the selected studies suggests a bidirectional relationship in that menstruation may act as a barrier to physical activity due to symptoms, societal stigma and menstrual product access, while physical activity may alleviate symptoms for some. The review highlights variability in study methodologies, with most relying on self-report data. Conclusion This review provides insights into the varied experiences of adolescent girls’ physical activity and menstruation, influenced by cultural, social, and resource-related factors. It makes important and timely recommendations for the direction of future research, which should employ longitudinal and mixed methods approaches to better understand the association between menstruation and physical activity in this population and address gaps regarding the mechanisms and magnitude of this relationship. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f9f95a3eedbb42bd8a5d78f4e6228efe |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1472-6874 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-f9f95a3eedbb42bd8a5d78f4e6228efe2025-08-20T03:10:39ZengBMCBMC Women's Health1472-68742025-06-0125111510.1186/s12905-025-03825-wAdolescents, menstruation, and physical activity: insights from a global scoping reviewJessica Harvey0Max J. Western1Nick P. Townsend2Jessica Francombe-Webb3Simon Sebire4Olivia S. Malkowski5Masha Remskar6Ella Burfitt7Emma Solomon-Moore8Department for Health, Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change, University of BathDepartment for Health, Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change, University of BathCentre for Exercise, School for Policy Studies, Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of BristolDepartment for Health, Centre for Sport, Physical Activity & Health Equality, University of BathThe Health Improvement Commission for Guernsey and Alderney LBGDepartment for Health, Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change, University of BathDepartment for Health, Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change, University of BathDepartment for Health, Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change, University of BathDepartment for Health, Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change, University of BathAbstract Background Adolescent girls tend to be less physically active than boys, a trend that coincides with puberty. Menstruation may act as a barrier to physical activity, which in turn may influence menstrual symptoms. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesise the global literature on the association between menstruation and physical activity among adolescents. Methods A systematic search was conducted across five databases, identifying studies on menstruation and physical activity in adolescents (aged 10–18 years) without date restrictions. Studies not in English, including only athlete populations and focusing solely on premenstrual syndrome were excluded. Titles and abstracts, followed by full texts were screened by two independent reviewers. Results Eighty-six studies were included, spanning 33 countries. Thematic synthesis of data from the selected studies suggests a bidirectional relationship in that menstruation may act as a barrier to physical activity due to symptoms, societal stigma and menstrual product access, while physical activity may alleviate symptoms for some. The review highlights variability in study methodologies, with most relying on self-report data. Conclusion This review provides insights into the varied experiences of adolescent girls’ physical activity and menstruation, influenced by cultural, social, and resource-related factors. It makes important and timely recommendations for the direction of future research, which should employ longitudinal and mixed methods approaches to better understand the association between menstruation and physical activity in this population and address gaps regarding the mechanisms and magnitude of this relationship.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03825-wMenstruationPhysical ActivityPubertyAdolescentsExerciseSport |
| spellingShingle | Jessica Harvey Max J. Western Nick P. Townsend Jessica Francombe-Webb Simon Sebire Olivia S. Malkowski Masha Remskar Ella Burfitt Emma Solomon-Moore Adolescents, menstruation, and physical activity: insights from a global scoping review BMC Women's Health Menstruation Physical Activity Puberty Adolescents Exercise Sport |
| title | Adolescents, menstruation, and physical activity: insights from a global scoping review |
| title_full | Adolescents, menstruation, and physical activity: insights from a global scoping review |
| title_fullStr | Adolescents, menstruation, and physical activity: insights from a global scoping review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adolescents, menstruation, and physical activity: insights from a global scoping review |
| title_short | Adolescents, menstruation, and physical activity: insights from a global scoping review |
| title_sort | adolescents menstruation and physical activity insights from a global scoping review |
| topic | Menstruation Physical Activity Puberty Adolescents Exercise Sport |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03825-w |
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