Adolescent Girls Research Articles

Knowledge and personal hygiene behavior during menstruation among adolescent girls in various regions: A literature review

Personal hygiene is still a public health issue in Indonesia. Menstrual hygiene is the management of hygiene and health when women experience menstruation as part of a personal hygiene care routine with the concept of clean. Personal hygiene during menstruation plays an important role in a person's health status in avoiding functional disorders of the reproductive organs. Knowledge in Indonesia states that poor personal hygiene behavior during menstruation of adolescent girls is a major concern because it has a health impact. The method used was literature review by searching articles through Google Scholar and Pubmed databases. Selection stages were carried out to obtain articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 6 articles were obtained that could be analyzed. The results showed that knowledge has a significant role in determining menstrual hygiene behavior in adolescent girls, there are also differences in knowledge and behavior when performing personal hygiene behavior during menstruation in urban and rural areas. To improve knowledge and behavior of personal hygiene during menstruation, especially in various regions, it can be done with various strategies such as promotion, education, collaboration, improving service quality, and increasing accessibility.

A healthy habitual score for dietary intake is associated with primary dysmenorrhea among adolescent school girls

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the most common gynecological complaints among adolescent and young females in their reproductive age that affects their daily activities and social life. Nutritional habits are considered as risk factor for primary dysmenorrhea. ‘Thus the aim of our study was to assess the relation between healthy habits score for dietary intake and prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea. Methods: The present study was conducted on 432 adolescent school girls (218 girls with nil to mild dysmenorrhea and 214 girls with moderate to severe dysmenorrhea). Healthy habitual scores (HHS) was calculated from 5 modifiable dietary intake habits considering high risk habit as ‘0’ and low risk habit as ‘1’ giving a composite score ranging from 0 to 5. We classified the healthy life style score into three category: 0-2 as low; 3 as medium and 4-5 as high. Correlation between HHS and its components with incident of primary dysmenorrhea were evaluated. HHS and risk of primary dysmenorrhea were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. The significance level of the all the tests were considered at a level of 0.05. Results: Significant correlation was obtained between incident of primary dysmenorrhea and all tested habits. Magnitude of correlation was higher for HHS than individual habit. Among tested habitual factors sugar intake, skipping breakfast and frequency of junk food intake was positively correlated where as negative correlation was obtained between primary dysmenorrhea and dietary intake of vit-E and calcium. Considering low HHS as reference group odd ratio significantly low in medium and high HHS groups. Thus risk of primary dysmenorrhea was more among adolescent girls those led unhealthy dietary habits like take more sugar, frequently take junk foods and skipping breakfast and take vit-E and calcium below recommended amount. Conclusion: Avoiding of Junk food, skipping breakfast and intaking of vit-E and calcium as per recommended amount and restricting sugar intake is recommended as a healthy dietary habit to minimize the risk of primary dysmenorrhea.

Hematocolpos- variations: Case report

Hemato/hydrocolpos is an obstruction of the menstrual flow due to an anomaly of the genital tract, with imperforate hymen being the most common one, which is found in neonatal, infant, and adolescent girls. Diagnosis is often missed or delayed due to its rare incidence and nonspecific symptoms (usually misdiagnosed as constipation. In case of late diagnosis/ misdiagnosis and/or delay in treatment, late complications such as tubal adhesion, pelvic endometriosis, and infertility may develop. This article aimed to review the diagnosis and treatment of these urogenital anomalies by describing embryology, clinical presentation, imaging findings, surgical management, and postoperative outcomes.

Smartphone use and well-being of adolescent girls: a population-based study

Background and objectivesRecent studies have reported an increasing incidence of anxiety among adolescent girls, and associated this with self-reported social media use. This study aimed to measure smartphone and social...

An Investigation into the Efficacy of Structured Education Program on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse among Adolescent Girls in Certain Schools in Mysuru

The dark issue of child sexual abuse (CSA) must start at home and spread to all levels of society if reform is to be achieved. It is awkward for parents to discuss sexuality and sexual abuse with their children because Indian society has traditionally ingrained conservative beliefs about these topics in its youth. The majority of homes completely avoid having these conversations, which understates the potential of harm, particularly in cases of rare and underreported sexual abuse. Quasi experimental pre-test post-test design, a convenience sampling technique was used to select the samples (N=60). Tool was administered to assess the current knowledge, a structured teaching programme (STP) was conducted later post test was administered and data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The post-test knowledge score mean percentage (86.68%) was higher than the mean percentile of pre-test knowledge score (46.6%). The calculated paired ‘t’ value is greater than the table value (0.05 44df) = 2.01 It showed a significant difference between mean pre and post-test knowledge scores. Calculated Chi-square values are showed significant association between socio demographic data of respondents with their pre-test knowledge scores. The study findings showed that knowledge on CSA was less before STP. The results indicated that STP is helpful in increasing their knowledge effectively.

Assessment of the Trends and Factors Associated With Unintended Pregnancy Among Women of Reproductive Age: An Analysis of the Nigerian Demographic Health Survey Between 2008 to 2018

Background Unintended pregnancy is a global public health issue with significant adverse effects which include health and economic consequences. Globally, there were 121 million unintended pregnancies annually between 2015 and 2019 among women of reproductive age between 15 and 49 mainly due to the non-uptake of modern contraceptives, harmful norms, stigma and lack of sexual and reproductive health care and information. Methods We extracted information from the Nigeria Demographic Health Survey conducted in 2008, 2013, and 2018 to assess the trends and factors associated with unintended pregnancies among women of reproductive-aged 15–49. The descriptive summaries were presented using percentages and binomial logistic regressions for the inferential analysis. All analyses were computed using Stata 15.0 at a 5% level of significance and accounted for the complex survey nature as well as the population size. Results The study included a total of 63,040 women of reproductive age. The prevalence of unintended pregnancy was highest among adolescents aged 15–19 years (15.1%, 95% CI: 13.9–16.5) and decreased with increasing age. The pooled adjusted model revealed that women had 11% lower odds of reporting unintended pregnancies in 2013 compared to 2008. Adolescent girls (aOR 2.48; 95%CI: 2.14–2.89) and young adults (aOR 1.86; 95%CI: 1.69–2.04) have higher odds of reporting unintended pregnancies compared to older women. Also, unmarried women had 9.8 times higher odds of reporting unintended pregnancies compared to ever-married women. Conclusions The findings from this study highlight the need for further family planning educational programs and initiatives that support the uptake of effective contraceptive methods to reduce the likelihood of unintended pregnancy and improve women’s sexual and reproductive health while considering regional variations within the country to ensure tailored interventions that address specific needs within each region.

The Development and Validation of a Tool to Evaluate the Determinants of Iron-Rich Food Intake among Adolescent Girls of Senegal

To reduce anemia among adolescent girls, factors that influence the consumption of iron-rich foods/IRF have not been investigated, and neither has a tool been developed to assess its determinants. Using the extended version of the theory of planned behaviour/eTPB, this study aims to develop and validate a questionnaire assessing individual and environmental factors that could influence IRF intake among Senegalese adolescent girls aged 10–19 years old. First, eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were held in different regions to identify salient beliefs related to each of the four constructs of the eTPB. Information from FGDs was used to develop a questionnaire that was administered to the first group (n = 200) of girls. Principal component and exploratory factorial analyses were then performed to identify latent factors for each construct. A modified version of the tool was administered to the second sample of girls (n = 400), and confirmatory factorial analyses were conducted. Hancock and Muller’s H reliability index was computed on the final model. Most metrics for fit indices were respected, and the H value was satisfactory. This study proposes a tool that could be used to explore determinants of the consumption of IRF among adolescent girls.

Developmental changes of bodily self-consciousness in adolescent girls

The body and the self change markedly during adolescence, but how does bodily self-consciousness, the pre-reflexive experience of being a bodily subject, change? We addressed this issue by studying embodiment towards virtual avatars in 70 girls aged 10–17 years. We manipulated the synchrony between participants’ and avatars’ touch or movement, as well as the avatar visual shape or size relative to each participant’s body. A weaker avatar’s embodiment in case of mismatch between the body seen in virtual reality and the real body is indicative of a more robust bodily self-consciousness. In both the visuo-tactile and the visuo-motor experiments, asynchrony decreased ownership feeling to the same extent for all participants, while the effect of asynchrony on agency feeling increased with age. In the visuo-tactile experiment, incongruence in visual appearance did not affect agency feeling but impacted ownership, especially in older teenage girls. These findings highlight the higher malleability of bodily self-consciousness at the beginning of adolescence and suggest some independence between body ownership and agency.

Organokines and liver enzymes in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome during randomized treatments

IntroductionPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is often associated with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). MAFLD has been associated with altered hepatic function, systemic dysmetabolism, and abnormal circulating levels of signaling molecules called organokines. Here, we assessed the effects of two randomized treatments on a set of organokines in adolescent girls with PCOS and without obesity, and report the associations with circulating biomarkers of liver damage, which were assessed longitudinally in the aforementioned studies as safety markers.Materials and methodsLiver enzymes [aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)] were assessed as safety markers in previous randomized pilot studies comparing the effects of an oral contraceptive (OC) with those of a low-dose combination of spironolactone-pioglitazone-metformin (spiomet) for 1 year. As a post hoc endpoint, the organokines fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21), diazepam-binding protein-1 (DBI), and meteorin-like protein (METRNL) were assessed by ELISA after 6 months of OC (N = 26) or spiomet (N = 28). Auxological, endocrine-metabolic, body composition (using DXA), and abdominal fat partitioning (using MRI) were also evaluated. Healthy, age-matched adolescent girls (N = 17) served as controls.ResultsCirculating ALT and GGT levels increased during OC treatment and returned to baseline concentrations in the post-treatment phase; in contrast, spiomet treatment elicited no detectable changes in ALT and GGT concentrations. In relation to organokines after 6 months of treatment, (1) FGF21 levels were significantly higher in PCOS adolescents than in control girls; (2) DBI levels were lower in OC-treated girls than in controls and spiomet-treated girls; and (3) no differences were observed in METRNL concentrations between PCOS girls and controls. Serum ALT and GGT levels were directly correlated with circulating METRNL levels only in OC-treated girls (R = 0.449, P = 0.036 and R = 0.552, P = 0.004, respectively).ConclusionThe on-treatment increase in ALT and GGT levels occurring only in OC-treated girls is associated with circulating METRNL levels, suggesting enhanced METRNL synthesis as a reaction to the hepatic changes elicited by OC treatment.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://doi.org, identifiers 10.1186/ISRCTN29234515, 10.1186/ISRCTN11062950.

Challenges in the Prevention and Management of Adolescent Pregnancy and School Dropout by Adolescent Mothers in South Africa

Owing to the social, economic, health, educational and psychological implications of adolescent pregnancy, there had been many attempts to stop this phenomenon. These efforts, however, do not seem to be succeeding given its acceleration, generally in South Africa. The schooling of many adolescent girls gets disturbed by their pregnancy and others discontinue with schooling postpartum. This exacerbates South Africa’s challenges of unemployment, poverty, intergenerational illiteracy, and general societal vulnerability. The Pregnant Learner Management Policy contributed to the dropout rates as it prohibited adolescent mothers from returning to school before they had spent two years with their babies. It has since been replaced with the National Policy on the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy in Schools, but reintegration remains a challenge. The pregnancy and reintegration challenges are aggravated by institutional, social, economic, cultural, and religious barriers. The pregnancies are due to several factors such as poor and inconsistent uptake of contraceptives, and inadequate parental involvement and guidance on the sexual and reproductive health education of the adolescents. The study used qualitative research techniques to delve deeper into the adolescent pregnancy and school dropout phenomenon; research participants were sampled from the three provinces with the highest number of births that were delivered by adolescents, namely KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Eastern Cape.

Preference-aligned fertility management among married adolescent girls in Northern Nigeria: assessing a new measure of contraceptive autonomy.

Universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare-including family planning (FP)-is a global priority, yet there is no standard outcome measure to evaluate rights-based FP programme performance at the regional, national or global levels. We collected a modified version of preference-aligned fertility management (PFM), a newly proposed rights-based FP outcome measure which we operationalised as concordance between an individual's desired and actual current contraceptive use. We also constructed a modified version (satisfaction-adjusted PFM) that reclassified current contraceptive users who wanted to use contraception but who were dissatisfied with their method as not having PFM. Our analysis used data collected 3.5 months after contraceptive method initiation within an ongoing prospective cohort of married adolescent girls aged 15-19 years in Northern Nigeria. We described and compared prevalence of contraceptive use and PFM in this population. Ninety-seven per cent (n=1020/1056) of respondents were practising PFM 3.5 months after initiating modern contraception, while 93% (n=986/1056) were practising satisfaction-adjusted PFM. Among participants not practising satisfaction-adjusted PFM (n=70), most were using contraception but did not want to be (n=30/70, 43%) or wanted to use contraception but were dissatisfied with their method (n=34/70, 49%), while the remaining 9% (n=6/70) wanted but were not currently using contraception. PFM captured meaningful discordance between contraceptive use desires and behaviours in this cohort of married Nigerian adolescent girls. Observed discordance in both directions provides actionable insights for intervention. PFM is a promising rights-focused FP outcome measure that warrants future field-testing in programmatic and population-based research.

A Qualitative Exploration on Risk and Protective Factors of Substance Use Among Black Adolescent Girls

ABSTRACT Objective While Black adolescent girls use drugs at much lower rates than White and Hispanic girls, Black adolescent girls often have worse health outcomes due to drug use. This study seeks to highlight the voices of Black adolescent girls in order to understand their unique risk factors for substance use and misuse. Methods Utilizing the intersectionality and ecological systems theoretical frameworks, the research team conducted twelve focus groups among a sample of Black adolescent girls (N = 62) between the ages of 13–18 (M = 15.6 years SD = 1.50). Results Thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the participant narratives. Four main themes arose: 1) stereotypes of Black adolescent girls; 2) the role of the physical and social environment (feeling unsafe in neighborhoods where they reside); 3) using drugs as a coping mechanism; 4) input on prevention programming for girls with a sub-theme involving family as a protective factor. Discussion Study findings deepen our qualitative understanding of risk and protective factors for substance use among Black adolescent girls. These findings provide insight on girls’ lived experiences for researchers and intervention development to create and implement substance abuse prevention programs that are race- and gender-specific for Black adolescent girls.

Intuitive eating, diet quality, and nutritional status of vulnerable children living separated from their families: A pilot study

AbstractNutritional problems can be seen in children living separated from their families. This cross-sectional pilot study aimed to evaluate intuitive eating, diet quality, and nutritional status of children living separated from their families. A total of 55 adolescent girls aged 12–18 years participated in the study. Anthropometric measurements, biochemical data, and 24-h dietary recall data were collected. The Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) and the Turkish version of the Healthy Lifestyle-Diet (HLD-TR) index were used. Participants were divided into two groups according to their scores on the diet quality index using the 50th percentile. Group 1 consisted of participants with a score of 25 points or less, and Group 2 consisted of participants with a score above 25 points. Waist circumference (72.0 (66–83), 65.0 (60–77)) was significantly higher in Group 1 (P < 0.05). IES–2 score (3.05 (2.85–3.40), 3.30 (3.12–3.90)) and two sub–factors; reliance in hunger and satiety cues (2.80 (1.80–3.40), 4.00 (2.60–4.60)) and body–food choice congruence (2.50 (2.00–3.50), 3.50 (3.00–4.50)) were higher in Group 2 (P < 0.05). After adjustment for body mass index, age, and energy intake, there was a significant positive correlation between IES-2 and HLD-TR scores (P = 0.029). In conclusion, it may be advantageous to resort to strategies that promote intuitive eating to reduce obesity and associated problems in this vulnerable group.

Adolescent pregnancy persists in Nigeria: Does household heads' age matter?

About 700,000 pregnant youths die each year in developing countries. To determine whether the persistent adolescent pregnancy in Nigeria between 2013 and 2018 was influenced by proximal factors, particularly household head age, we carried out a cross-sectional study on adolescent girls that participated in the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Age of first birth, residence type, age, and gender of household heads was collected using a 2018 standardized NDHS. Multiple logistic regression was performed to test for associations. We analyzed 8,448 adolescents who had experienced pregnancy during the study period. The results demonstrated that girls with male household heads aged 45 and older have lower odds of adolescent pregnancy (OR = 0.619; 95% CI = 0.447, 0.856; p = 0.004 compared to those with female household heads in the same age group. Girls with male household heads in three younger age groups have higher odds of adolescent pregnancy than those with female household heads in the corresponding age group (15-24: OR = 1.719, 95% CI = 1.042, 2.835, p = 0.034; 25-34: OR = 4.790, 95% CI = 1.986, 11.551, p < 0.001; 35-44: OR = 2.080, 95% CI = 1.302, 3.323, p = 0.002). Girls with household heads aged in the 15-24 and 25-34 groups had higher odds of adolescent pregnancy compared to those with household heads aged 45 and older. Higher odds of adolescent pregnancy in Nigeria were found among girls with household heads aged in the 15-24 and 25-34 groups compared to those with household heads aged 45 and older. Although girls with younger male household heads are at an increased risk nationally, those living in the rural areas with younger household heads are at an even higher risk for adolescent pregnancy. Therefore, levels of socioecological model must be considered in planning for effective interventions.

A study to evaluate the effectiveness of informative educational approach on knowledge regarding polycystic ovarian syndrome, it’s impact on reproductive system and preventive strategies among adolescent girls at selected colleges, Koppal district

A study to evaluate the effectiveness of informative educational approach on knowledge regarding polycystic ovarian syndrome, it’s impact on reproductive system and preventive strategies among adolescent girls at selected colleges, Koppal district

The Effectiveness of Education with Picture Media to Increase Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes about Maintaining the Cleanliness of the External Genitalia at Al-Azhar26 Junior High School Yogyakarta

Background: Cleanliness of women’s genitals is related to the menstrual cycle. The education of menstruation with picture media increases women’s awareness to maintain the cleanliness of the external genital because picture media shows effects of risk behavior if do not maintain the cleanliness. Women with a better understanding of menstruation often have a safe and clean way to manage their menstrual bleeding. Poor knowledge, attitudes and actions towards external genitalia hygiene in adolescent girls have clinical implications, namely the occurrence of infections in the reproductive system and urinary tract infections. In developing countries, this problem needs more serious attention.Objective: This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of education with picture media to increase students’ knowledge and attitudes about maintaining the cleanliness of the external genitalia at Al-Azhar 26 Junior High School Yogyakarta.Methods: This research is a quantitative study with a quasi-experimental design and uses analytic research with a One Group Pretest- Postest Design. In this study there was no control group, data collection using a questionnaire. The population was made up of Grade VIII students of junior high schools who were actively studying at MTs Al- Azhar 26 Yogyakarta. Respondents came from junior high school students because junior high school students represented teenagers and their intellectual abilities were not much different. The research sample was taken by using a total sampling technique of 60 samples. The treatment procedure was after completing the pre-test, students were given education about external genital hygiene with picture media. After receiving education, students were asked to fill out a post test, after the data was collected, data analysis was carried out using the Wilcoxon test. Ethical permission for this research from FKIK UMY with number 106/EC-KEPK FKIK UMY/IV/2021.Results: Respondents are 60, aged 12 and 13 years. The mean value of knowledge before intervention is 7,02, the mean value of knowledge after intervention is 13,68. The mean value of the attitude before the intervention was 15.35, the mean value of the attitude after the intervention was 33.23. The results of the test on the level of knowledge of the respondents using the Wilcoxon test obtained a value of p = 0.001 (p &lt;0.05), this is a significant result in increasing the level of knowledge of respondents about external genitalia hygiene. The results of the test on respondents’ attitudes using the Wilcoxon test obtained p value = 0.001 (p &lt; 0.05), this is a significant result in increasing respondents’ attitudes about the external genitalia.Conclusion: counseling about genital hygiene is effective in increasing knowledge and attitudes about female genitalia in Yogyakarta. Efforts to improve external genital hygiene in adolescents need to be continuously improved with education that is carried out continuously and carried out using various methods.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 08 No. 02 Apr’24 Page: 157-164

RESEARCH OF MECHANISMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROTECTION OF PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS

The purpose of the work is to present the results of a theoretical and empirical study of the formation of mechanisms of psychological protection of the adolescent girls in the context of their professional training for the work of psychologists. Methodology. Sample: 54 students majoring in "Psychology", aged 17-20. All of the were female. Among them, 52% are 1st year students and 48% are 2nd year students. Methods: The Plutchik-Kellerman-Conte "Life Style Index" questionnaire (Life Style Index, LSI) was used as a diagnostic tool, which allows you to determine the severity of eight main mechanisms of psychological protection and their general tension. Results. Theoretical approaches to the definition and classification of EDs were considered, as well as an empirical study was conducted on EDs that are most characteristic of female psychology students in the first and second years of study. According to the results of the survey, data were obtained on the degree of severity of each MPZ. It was found that there was a difference between the MPZs inherent in female students in different courses of study. Very primitive protection mechanisms are more common among the first-year students than among the second-year students. During early adolescence, higher psychological defenses are just beginning to form and are not typical for this age. Starting from the age of 18, higher defense mechanisms, as dominant, are observed more often in psychology students

SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE

The use of social media has contributed to rising aggression and social isolation in adolescents. Current research examined the relationship of social media use, aggression, and social isolation among adolescents. Meezan International School and Divisional Public School were selected for data collection from Sahiwal city. Sample was included 200 participants as 100 girls and 100 boys. This study used UCLA Loneliness Scale, Aggression Questionnaire and Social Use Survey to measure social isolation, aggression, and social media use, respectively. SPSS (27 version) was used for statistical analyses and remarkable findings were obtained. Results of current study depicted that social media usage does not increase the level of aggression and social isolation in adolescents. Further, social isolation increases due to the increase of aggression and vice versa. Moreover, current study depicted that social media use was a significant predictor of aggression and non-significant predictor of social isolation in our society. Furthermore, there was a prominent difference of social media use, aggression and social isolation in adolescent boys and girls. Girls use more social media as compared to boys and boys are more socially isolated and aggressive than girls in adolescence.

Superior facial emotion recognition in adolescents with anorexia nervosa - A replication study.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been associated with alterations in the processing of socio-emotional information, including impairments in the recognition of emotions in other people's faces. However, adolescents with AN might not show the impairments found in adult patients. The present study investigated facial emotion recognition in adolescents with AN, aiming to replicate our previous results of superior emotion recognition abilities in adolescents with AN compared to adolescents without mental disorders. Adolescent girls (12-18years) with AN (n=33) were compared to girls without mental disorders (n=41). Participants completed one task requiring identification of emotions (happy, sad, afraid, angry, neutral) in faces and one control task. As expected, adolescents with AN showed superior emotion recognition, with higher accuracy rates specifically for afraid faces. This is the first study replicating previous results on basic emotion recognition in adolescents with AN using (almost) the same methodology. The results suggest that, in contrast to adults, adolescents with AN do not show impairments in facial emotion recognition. The impairments may arise in the longer course of the illness, however, longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm this assumption.

Low Vitamin A Status: A Potential Limiting Factor for Hemoglobin Improvement to Iron–Folic Acid Supplementation in Adolescent Girls with Iron Deficiency Anemia

Low Vitamin A Status: A Potential Limiting Factor for Hemoglobin Improvement to Iron–Folic Acid Supplementation in Adolescent Girls with Iron Deficiency Anemia