The Prevalence of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding and Its Subtypes Among Adolescent Girls in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine

This study aimed to determine the national pooled prevalence of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), its subtypes, and dysmenorrhea among adolescent girls in India. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, searching PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to December 4, 2024. Twenty nine observational studies involving adolescent girls aged 10-19 years, with sample sizes ranging from 127 to 2,000, conducted across India, were included. Due to high heterogeneity, pooled prevalence estimates were calculated using random-effects models. The pooled prevalence of AUB was 18.0% (95% confidence interval (CI), 14.0%-22.0%). Among AUB subtypes, oligomenorrhea (24%, 95% CI: 15%-34%) and metrorrhagia (24%, 95% CI: 4%-44%) were the most common, followed by menorrhagia (18%, 95% CI: 14%-23%). Additionally, the pooled prevalence of dysmenorrhea was notably high at 53% (95% CI: 46%-61%, I² = 99.4%). Significant heterogeneity (I² > 99.1%) and regional disparities in prevalence were observed across all analyses. This study found that about one in five adolescent girls in India experience AUB. These findings support the need for future studies to evaluate the effectiveness, accuracy, and feasibility of screening strategies for their widespread implementation.