Background: Adolescent is a period of rapid growth. Even a malnourished child catches up its height in the secondary growth period, adolescence. In developing countries adolescent girls are not given adequate attention. Adolescent girls often neglect to speak about their reproductive health problems that are common in their menstrual cycle. Nutrition and health education is an important aspect that bridges the gap between health information and health practices and considered as a key factor in health promotion activities. The present study aimed at imparting a nutrition and health education programme in reducing the severity of premenstrual symptoms among the adolescent girls (14-16 years). Methods: An educational programme was conducted in two areas of Coimbatore city. Sample size was 100; sampling design used was convenience sampling. Nutritional assessment and PMS symptom as well as knowledge of PMS symptom were done before conduct of nutrition and health education. Nutrition and health education was carried out for a period of four months and post test evaluation of nutritional status, PMS symptom and PMS knowledge score were done. Results and Discussion: From the data gathered, it was noted that nutrition and health education improved the knowledge of the participants after intervention. Though weight does not show statistical significance, majority of the subjects gained less weight in the luteal phase. Also individual symptoms like back pain and head ache has reduced in their severity. Conclusion: Adolescent girls often neglect the aspect of taking about their menstrual problems to any including their mothers. Hence a well planned nutrition and health education given to the adolescent population on PMS was able to increase the knowledge on PMS and to some extent reduced the PMS symptom score severity.
