Title: Comparison of factors associated with the occurrence of menstruation-related symptoms
in Japanese women without exercise habits and female soccer players: A cross-sectional study
Version: 1 Date: 12 Jan 2025
Reviewer:  Manuela Deodato
Reviewer's report:
Dear authors,
First of all congratulation congratulations on submitting your paper for publication and thank
you for the invitation to review your study “Comparison of factors associated with the occurrence
of menstruation-related symptoms in Japanese women without exercise habits and female soccer
players: A cross-sectional study ”. The following suggestion may improve the quality of your
study.
General: there are some abbreviations that make the text difficult to read, please use the full
name in the first paragraph of every section (introduction, method, results and discussion), then
the abbreviation.
INTRODUCTION
- The introduction need to better described the burden of primary Dysmenorrhea and their
physiopathology, in order to support your work. For example, the relationship between
dysmenorrhea and sport should be better described.
- The specific research gap that your study aims to fill should be better delineate, particularly
in the context of previous studies.
- The introduction would benefit from a clearer statement of the study's objectives and
hypotheses. Explicitly defining these early on would enhance the reader's understanding of the
study's direction.
METHOD
- Were the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES) guidelines
respected? Please specify and add the references
- Were the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines
respected? Please specify and add the references
- The type of web-based questionnaire should be added, SurveyMonkey? Google?
- Exclusion/inclusion criteria: please specify if the use of contraceptive coil represented an
exclusion criteria; please specify if pelvic surgery or surgery in low back represented an
exclusion criteria
- The manuscript does not clearly justify the chosen sample size or discuss how it ensures
sufficient power to detect expected differences between groups.
Results
- The quality of tables are very good
Discussion
- The discussion would benefit form a paragraph in which you suggest general hypotheses
concerning your findings, especially the relationship between primary Dysmenorrhea and
headache and anxiety. In fact mood disorders and headache could be a comorbidities…
Understanding this relationships between may provide epidemiological and clinical clues
concerning the pathophysiological mechanisms, and as a consequence, the appropriate diagnosis
and treatments.
- The discussion would benefit also from a suggestions for future research including potential
modifications and benefit from some treatments such as physiotherapy. Please take in to
consideration the following article:
Deodato M, Grosso G, Drago A, Martini M, Dudine E, Murena L, Buoite Stella A. Efficacy
of manual therapy and pelvic floor exercises for pain reduction in primary dysmenorrhea:
A prospective observational study. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2023 Oct;36:185-191. doi: 10.1016/
j.jbmt.2023.07.002. Epub 2023 Jul 13. PMID: 37949558.
Molins-Cubero S, Rodríguez-Blanco C, Oliva-Pascual-Vaca A, Heredia-Rizo AM, Boscá-
Gandía JJ, Ricard F. Changes in pain perception after pelvis manipulation in women with
primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled trial. Pain Med. 2014 Sep;15(9):1455-63. doi:
10.1111/pme.12404. Epub 2014 Mar 25. PMID: 24666560.