Dysmenorrhea is defined as painful menstrual cramps and is one of the most common gynecological disorders among women of productive age. In addition to impacting physical health, dysmenorrhea often significantly reduces the quality of life and productivity of young women, even being a reason for absence from school, work, and other activities.
For this reason, the Physiotherapy Study Program (Prodi), Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI) held Edukasi Senam Dismenore (Dysmenorrhea Gymnastics Education), or SENADI for young women at the Yatashi Private Islamic High School in Bogor City. This activity is part of a community service program (pengmas) called Sepanjang Hayat Bergerak Bersama Physiotherapy (Sehat Bestari).
This program is a manifestation of the real contribution of the role of physiotherapy in overcoming health complaints in the community, one of which is in the field of women’s health and reproduction. This is supported by data from the Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) of the Indonesian Ministry of Health in 2018 which showed that the prevalence of dysmenorrhea in Indonesia reached 64.25%, consisting of primary dysmenorrhea of 54.89% and secondary dysmenorrhea of 9.36%.
The head of the community service team, Faizah Abdullah, S.St., S.Ft., M.Biomed., emphasized the importance of providing education so that teenagers realize that dysmenorrhea is a health problem that needs to be addressed. SENADI Education aims to raise awareness about the importance of women’s health, especially related to dysmenorrhea. This activity was held on September 17 and involved a deep understanding of gymnastics specifically designed to overcome menstrual cramps. This gymnastics focuses on strengthening core muscles and can be done independently, with a 6-7 minute exercise session recommended before menstruation.
As an independent and superior campus, UI continues to adapt to the times through innovations such as research and various community service activities. UI not only improves the quality of education, but also makes a positive contribution to society and industry. This is reflected in the enthusiasm of the participants seen from the interaction of the community service activities carried out. One of the participants, Nafisha, said that this education gave her new insights. “I didn’t realize that menstrual pain could be overcome with special exercises,” she said, showing the positive impact of the activity.
Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D, said that the series of community service activities carried out by lecturers and students of the Physiotherapy Study Program in a number of areas were concrete steps in improving the quality of life and health of the community. “Through these various community service activities, we hope that the community will benefit directly and apply the education provided to their daily lives,” said Padang.
