| Premenstrual symptoms affect physical and affective well-being. Mindfulness-based therapies have been shown to improve physical and affective symptoms across a range of health conditions yet there is currently no research evaluating specific characteristics of mindfulness in women with negative premenstrual symptomatology. To assess the interrelationships among trait mindfulness, general nonemotive body awareness, and premenstrual symptom severity reports (PMSR), a community sample of women (N = 84; M age = 32 years, SD = 8.55) with negative premenstrual symptomatology completed a demographic questionnaire, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ), and the Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool. Most participants were White (77%), single (56%) women with normal menstrual cycles ranging between 21--35 days (95%). Hierarchical regressions evaluated the moderating role of the mindfulness facets observing, acting-with-awareness, and nonjudging on the relationship between body awareness and premenstrual symptom reporting (PMSR). The model assessing the moderating effects of observing was non-significant, with no predictor accounting for a significant portion of the variance in PMSR: beta = .009 (p = n.s.), R 2 = .11; observing, beta = .028 (p = n.s.); R2 = .14. The model assessing the moderating effects of acting-with-awareness was non-significant. Yet, body awareness and acting-with-awareness accounted for a significant amount of variance in PMSR: BAQ, beta = .015 (p < .001), R2 = .11; acting-with-awareness , beta = -.044 (p < .001); R 2 = .30. The model assessing the moderating effects of nonjudging was also non-significant. Yet, body awareness and nonjudging accounted for a significant amount of variance in PMSR: BAQ, beta = .011 (p < .05); R 2 = .11 nonjudging, beta = -.029 ( p < .01); R2 = .17). These results show that the observe facet, as measured by the FFMQ, functions differently in its relationship with body awareness and PMSR than do the other FFMQ mindfulness facets. Additionally, the mindfulness facets acting-with-awareness and nonjudging seem to uniquely predict lower PMSR. |
