UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
A recent 1-year investigation evaluated daily scores of Feeling of Self-Worth or feeling of individual value in 53 healthy women with regular cycles who also tracked ovulation and lengths of time from ovulation until the next flow. This evaluation is part of the assessment of expected or healthy experiences during menstrual cycles using the Prospective Ovulation Cohort data collected by Professor Emerita, Jerilynn Prior MD and the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR).
“Feeling of Self-Worth was recorded daily in the Menstrual Cycle Diary© and scored from 1-5 with a score of 3 indicating a woman’s “usual” feeling of value. Numbers higher than 3 mean greater self-worth and lower than 3 are consistent with decreased feelings of self-worth”
reported Dr. Sonia Shirin, CeMCOR research associate who performed the statistical analyses.
“We were surprised to learn that, in all 53 women and across all 698 menstrual cycles, the mean annual Feeling of Self-Worth was very tightly related to their usual Feeling of Self-Worth or a score of 3”
said Dr. Nahid Shirazian, endocrinologist who led this investigation.
“To our knowledge, this is the first research evaluating a relationship of the Feeling of Self-Worth with menstrual cycles and their follicular and luteal phases. Although there is a lot in general about self-esteem, the question of whether Self-Worth relates to cycles and ovulation doesn’t seem to have previously been asked.”
said Dharani Kalidasan, basic scientist and academic coordinator for this study and CeMCOR.
“Feeling of Self-Worth might well be associated with normal ovulation, or a luteal phase of at least 10 days following the day of ovulation using the validated Quantitative Basal Temperature© method that CeMCOR developed”
speculated Dr. Jerilynn Prior, lead endocrinologist on this study.
“Why? Because ovulatory disturbances such as short luteal phases (less than 10 days) or not ovulating (anovulation) occur when women are under physical or emotional stress related inadequate nourishment, being physically ill, over-exercising, having insufficient energy intakes, or related to abuse, psychological conflict or depression/anxiety.”
Summary of Feeling of Self-Worth, Menstruation and Ovulation
Our comprehensive, prospective study of daily Feeling of Self-Worth over 1-year in 53 initially normally ovulatory women showed no consistent relationship with any sociodemographic, body size or menstrual/ovulation variable. Feeling of Self-Worth was associated with other positive experiences such as interest in sex and feeling of energy. It was also negatively correlated with depression.
Therefore, the small changes around a woman’s “usual” Feeling of Self-Worth we documented are likely related to other daily, non-recorded experiences that are unique to each individual. These data suggest that Feeling of Self-Worth is a trait that is stable within a person and changes little, if at all, related to women’s menstrual cycles and ovulation.
Publication Source
Shirazian N, Shirin S, Kalidasan D, Prior JC (2025). Feeling of self-worth in healthy premenopausal women—relationships with menstrual cycles and ovulation over 1-year in the prospective ovulation cohort. PLOS One 20(8): e0327539. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327539
Media Contact
UBC Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR)
cemcor.info@ubc.ca | 604-875-5917