The Relationship Between Academic Stress Levels and Menstrual Cycles Among Undergraduate Midwifery Students at STIKes Akbidyo Yogyakarta

Abstract

Introduction:Menstrual cycle irregularities are a common reproductive health problem affecting approximately 32% of women of reproductive age in Indonesia, with academic stress considered a contributing factor.Objective:This study aimed toanalyzethe relationship between academic stress levels and menstrual cycle patterns among undergraduate midwifery students at STIKesAkbidyoYogyakarta.Methods:This study used an analytic cross-sectional design with total sampling of 65 active students. Academic stress was measured using the ASSESS questionnaire (22 valid items, Cronbach's Alpha = 0.896), and menstrual cycle data were collected through a single-time questionnaire asking respondents to retrospectively report their menstrual cycle patterns over the preceding three months (November 2025–January 2026). Data wereanalyzedusing Chi-Square and Spearman's Rank Correlation tests (α = 0.05).Results:The majority of respondents experienced moderate academic stress (81.5%), with Worry About Grades as the most dominant dimension (72.8%). Most respondents had regular menstrual cycles (66.2%), with a mean cycle length of 31.8 days and mean menstrual duration of 6.1 days. There was no statistically significant relationship between academic stress and menstrual cycle regularity (χ² = 0.876; p = 0.646), cycle length (r = −0.033; p = 0.801), or menstrual duration (r = 0.027; p = 0.833).Conclusion:The absence of a significant relationship may be attributed to predominantly moderate stress levels, good social support, and limited observation duration. Institutions are recommended to provide accessiblecounselingservices, balance academic workloads, and conduct regular mental health and reproductive health screenings.