Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to examine how Korea female university students participate in physiological and psychological exercises according to differences in their menstrual cycles and health consciousness, exercise participation, and exercise intention. This study analyzed how these female students feel about their own health, participating in exercises, and the duration of the exercise according to the different menstrual cycles and their various patterns. Methods: The study surveyed women university students in Gangwon-do, Busan, and Ulsan metro city in Korea. A total of 464 questionnaires were analyzed using the statistical programs SPSS Win 22 and AMOS Win 22. We used cross-analysis, T-tests, one-way ANOVA analysis, and correlation analysis to analyze differences in health consciousness, intensity of exercise, and degree of intent to exercise in terms of the menstrual cycle and exercise pattern during the cycle. Results: First, there were no significant differences between menstrual pattern (regular vs. irregular) and general exercise periods during the non-menstrual period (X2 = 5.828, p < 0.212). However, the study showed that more female university students who had regular menstrual cycle were back to regular exercise right after their menstruation cycle ended, and the girls with irregular menstrual cycles did not exercise as much right after their menstruation cycle ended. Second, there were significant differences in the relationship between health consciousness (p = 0.000), amount of exercise (p = 0.002), and grade of intention to exercise (p = 0.002) according to the differences in menstrual cycles and pattern of Korean female university students. Female university students with a regular menstrual cycle showed higher health consciousness, amount of exercise, and intent to exercise than did ones with irregular menstrual cycles. Third, there was a significant difference in the relationship between health consciousness (p = 0.000), amount of exercise (p = 0.000), and intent to exercise (p = 0.000) in accordance with exercise period (did not exercise, before menstruation, after menstruation, and when not menstruating, always) of Korean female university students. In other words, female university students who exercised were higher than female university students who did not exercise.Conclusions: In this study, Korean female university students who had regular menstrual cycles exercised regularly and showed a high level of their own health consciousness, amount of exercise, and intention to exercise. Also, female university students who exercise regularly have a higher level of health consciousness, amount of exercise, and intention to exercise. This study will be valuable as a pilot study related to physiological, psychological factors, and exercise of women.