Abstract
The lack of established measurement tools in the study of menstrual health and hygiene has been a significant limitation of quantitative studies to date. However, there has been limited exploration of existing measurement to identify avenues for improvement. We undertook two linked systematic reviews of (1) trials of menstrual health interventions and their nested studies in low- and middle-income countries, (2) studies developing or validating measures of menstrual experiences from any location. Systematic searching was undertaken in 12 databases, together with handsearching. We iteratively grouped and audited concepts measured across included studies and extracted and compared measures of each concept. A total of 23 trials, 9 nested studies and 22 measure development studies were included. Trials measured a range of outcomes including menstrual knowledge, attitudes, and practices, school absenteeism, and health. Most measure validation studies focused on assessing attitudes towards menstruation, while a group of five studies assessed the accuracy of women's recall of their menstrual characteristics such as timing and cycle length. Measures of menstrual knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and restrictions were inconsistent and frequently overlapped. No two studies measured the same menstrual or hygiene practices, with 44 different practices assessed. This audit provides a summary of current measures and extant efforts to pilot or test their performance. Inconsistencies in both the definition and operationalisation of concepts measured in menstrual health and hygiene research should be addressed. To improve measurement, authors should clearly define the constructs they aim to measure and outline how these were operationalised for measurement. Results of this audit indicate the need for the development and validation of new measures, and the evaluation of the performance of existing measures across contexts. In particular, the definition and measurement of menstrual practices, knowledge, attitudes, norms and restrictions should be addressed. CRD42018089884.
Highlights
Menstruation is a recurring experience in the lives of millions of women and adolescent girls across the globe
Inconsistencies in both the definition and operationalisation of concepts measured in menstrual health and hygiene research should be addressed
A growing body of qualitative research has highlighted the challenges faced by menstruating women and adolescent girls in low-resource settings and indicated negative effects on health, education, employment, and well-being
Summary
Menstruation is a recurring experience in the lives of millions of women and adolescent girls across the globe. Policy and programming have rapidly expanded, seeking to address unmet menstrual needs This response has far outstripped the pace and funding of research to understand menstrual experiences and inform and evaluate interventions.[1] A growing body of qualitative research has highlighted the challenges faced by menstruating women and adolescent girls in low-resource settings and indicated negative effects on health, education, employment, and well-being. These studies have highlighted a complex array of factors contributing to experiences of menstruation.[2] Quantitative studies testing risk factors or consequences hypothesized through qualitative research are rare, and systematic reviews of quantitative and trial research have highlighted the limited number and low quality of extant studies.[3,4,5]. There has been limited exploration of existing measurement to identify avenues for improvement
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