Dysmenorrhea Exploration in Teenagers, Their Parents and Caregivers
Condition: Dysmenorrhea
MeSH terms: Dysmenorrhea
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Teenagers experimenting severe dysmenorrhea also face age-specific challenges, particularly
      impacting their self-confidence, self-esteem, and relations. On one hand, the study team will
      conduct focus group interviews to better understand the experience of teenagers and their
      parents consulting pediatric services for severe dysmenorrhea. On the other hand, they will
      conduct focus group interviews with caregivers from services that usually encounter such
      patients (gastrologic, gynecologic and pain services). This, allowing to later propose
      specific tools and healthcare organization to evaluate and accompany teenagers suffering from
      severe dysmenorrhea.
    

Detailed description: 
      Endometriosis is a complex disease that remains underdiagnosed (7 to 9 years delay), and
      incorrectly treated. While endometriosis was at first considered as a condition affecting
      adult women, since the early 2000s, literature has described more and more cases of
      adolescent patients, with frequently atypical presentations. Indirect prevalence estimates
      ranging from 25% to 100% in adolescents' girls with pelvic pain. Moreover, Arruda et al.
      indicate that adolescents girls arrive after a delay in diagnosis which has a significant
      impact on the progression of the disease and on their confidence in the medical listening and
      understanding abilities. However, the pain induced by dysmenorrhea has a profound impact on
      everyday life of and are frequently responsible for school missing as shown in the RESENDO
      survey.

      By conducting a qualitative analysis based on focus groups, the main objective of the study
      is to describe as faithfully and extensively as possible the experience of teenage patients
      and their parents consulting for severe dysmenorrhea, and delineate factors potentially
      improving or hindering care engagement.

      The study utilizes a qualitative method as a tool to have a better understanding of this
      population, a population increasing in pediatric gynecology services or pain management
      consultations. Gathering their words, their views on their symptoms and its repercussions,
      and their main issues, will enable to build a relationship of trust with caregivers, better
      address the broad problematic, and identify risk factors.
    

Intervention name(s): focus group interview
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Group interview gathering words, views, symptoms and its repercussions, and main issues of the subjects regarding severe dysmenorrhea
Observational model: Other
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        3 types of population with a link to severe dysmenorrhea (whether through their own story,
        or child, or profession described throught eligibility criteria above)
      
Keywords: Endometriosis; severe dysmenorrhea; pain; teenagers; pediatric; qualitative research; focus group; patient care management