Research summary · Women in sport
Menstrual perceptions, rumination and wellbeing
A study examines how self-reported menstrual sensitivity, rumination and coping relate to wellbeing in female university athletes.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Cross-sectional observational study
- Journal
- Psychology of Sport and Exercise
- Population / context
- Female university athletes · Multiple sports
What the publication reports
Questionnaire data from 438 athletes in China were analysed using structural equation modelling. Greater menstrual sensitivity was associated with lower wellbeing and more rumination, particularly brooding. Resilient coping was associated with a weaker adverse relationship.
Limits and interpretation
The cross-sectional model cannot establish causal mediation. Assessment was not anchored to menstrual-cycle phase, so the findings concern general perceptions rather than phase-specific biological effects. One national university-athlete setting limits generalisation.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
How menstrual sensitivity shapes well-being in female athletes: The mediating role of rumination and the buffering effect of resilient coping
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42476479DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103232Reader discussion
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