Association between primary dysmenorrhea and labor pain intensity and progression among young adult women in Jordan: A prospective cohort study

Background: Labor pain is a complex component of childbirth influenced by physiological and psychological factors. Emerging evidence recommends that menstrual pain, particularly primary dysmenorrhea, may impact pain perception and labour outcomes. Aim: This study aimed to examine the association between primary dysmenorrhea and Labor pain intensity and progression among young adult women in Jordan. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in Jordan between May and October 2024. The study took place in the Maternity wards of three governmental hospitals. A total of 150 primiparous women were recruited through convenience sampling and completed a self-administered questionnaire. Pain was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the Working ability, location. Days of pain, pain intensity (WaLIDD) scale was employed to assess the severity of primary dysmenorrhea. Data were analyzed using SPSS, and p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age was 26.43 years; 43% reported severe dysmenorrhea, 53.1% of them rated their labor pain as extremely severe, and 31.3% attained full cervical dilation within 4 h. In contrast, among women with mild dysmenorrhea, 26.3% reported severe pain, and 22.7% achieved complete dilation. The majority of participants (93.3%) experienced a full-term pregnancy and delivered normally (97.3%) without complications. Conclusion: Primary dysmenorrhea appears to be associated with pain intensity and faster dilation in a subset, but not with overall complications. Understanding this relationship may help healthcare providers anticipate po tential challenges and optimize individualized labor management approaches.