• W Häuser, G Schmutzer, and E Brähler.
• Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Saarbrücken gGmbH, Winterberg 1, 66119, Saarbrücken, Deutschland, whaeuser@klinikum-saarbruecken.de.
• Schmerz. 2014 Jun 1; 28 (3): 259-64.

BackgroundThere are no data available on the prevalence of disabling abdominal pain and menstrual cramp in adults in Germany.MethodsAbdominal pain and menstrual cramp, additional somatic symptoms and depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ) 15 and 9 in persons ≥ 14 years from a sample representative of the general German population. The association of disabling abdominal and menstrual cramp with demographic and clinical variables was tested by logistic regression analyses.ResultsA total of 2524 out of 4064 (62.1 %) contacted persons participated in the study. Of the participants 11.9 % reported suffering from slight abdominal pain and 0.9 % reported suffering from severe abdominal pain within the last 4 weeks. Female gender with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.23 (95 % confidence interval CI 1.67-2.98, p < 0.001), younger age (OR 0.97, 95 % CI 0.96-0.98, p < 0.001), physical symptom burden PHQ 15 (OR 1.33, 95 % CI 1.26-1.40, p < 0.0001) and depression PHQ 9 (OR 1.13, 95 % CI 1.08-1.77, p < 0.0001) were predictive for abdominal pain. Of the women aged 14-55 years 19.8 % reported to be slightly troubled by menstrual cramp and 3.9 % reported suffering from severe menstrual cramp within the last 4 weeks. Menstrual cramps were predicted by younger age (OR 0.96, 95 % CI 0.94-0.97, p < 0.001), somatic symptom burden PHQ 15 (OR 1.24, 1.12-1.36, p < 0.0001) and depression PHQ 9 (OR 1.08, 95 % CI 1.01-1.15, p < 0.0001).ConclusionPersons in the general German population frequently reported slightly disabling abdominal pain and menstrual cramp; however, severely disabling abdominal pain and menstrual cramp were rarely reported. Abdominal pain and menstrual cramps were associated with additional somatic complaints and depression.

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