Knowledge Of Menstrual Hygiene Research Articles

Impact of dysmenorrhea on urban school girls in Tanzania: the need for a comprehensive menstrual health management guideline

Impact of dysmenorrhea on urban school girls in Tanzania: the need for a comprehensive menstrual health management guideline

Menstrual health and hygiene knowledge among post menarche adolescent school girls in urban and rural Tanzania.

Adolescent girls' capacity to lead healthy lives and perform well in school has been hampered by their lack of awareness about menstruation and the requirements for its hygienic management. Lack of enabling infrastructure, improper menstrual supplies, and limited socioeconomic support for good menstrual health and cleanliness are characteristics of schools in Africa South of the Sahara. We evaluated school-age girls' knowledge of menstrual hygiene and identified bottlenecks that could affect policy and programming for menstrual health and hygiene. A school-based cross-sectional study involved 8,012 adolescent school girls in the age group of 11-18 years (mean age = 14.9 years). The study evaluated students' knowledge of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) from the viewpoints of schools and communities using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data was collected using self-administered surveys, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and site observations. Girls' older age (AOR = 1.62, P 0.001), having a female guardian (AOR = 1.39: P = 001), and having a parent in a formal job (AOR = 1.03: P 0.023) were positively associated with Menstrual health and Hygiene Knowledge. MHH knowledge levels varied significantly between girls attending government (53.3) and non-government schools (50.5%, P = 0.0001), although they were comparable for girls attending rural and urban schools. Only 21% of the study's schools had at least one instructor who had received training in MHH instruction for students. We have established that the majority of adolescent girls in schools have inadequate knowledge on menstrual health and hygiene, and that school teachers lack the skills to prepare and support young adolescents as they transition into puberty. Concerted actions aimed at building supportive policy are paramount, for school-aged teenagers to learn about and reap the long-term advantages of good menstrual health practices.

ASSESSMENT OF AWARENESS OF MENSTRUATION AND MENSTRUAL HYGIENE PRACTICES AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE GROUP- A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY AT TERTIARY CARE CENTER, MAHARASHTRA

Background: According to several studies, only 77.3% of Indian women follow menstrual hygiene practices.1 Unaddressed menstrual hygiene is said to hamper the achievement of some of the sustainable development goals (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th), which are related to menstrual hygiene practices.1,2 Since the last two decades, womens literacy and status in society have improved, so it is important to know whether menstrual hygiene has improved or not. The present study will assess the adequacy of menstrual hygiene knowledge and practice, which is directly related to SDG 6.25. Objectives: 1.To asses the awareness and practices of menstrual hygiene. 2. To study socio-cultural factors associated with hygiene practices. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among women of reproductive age who attended gynecology OPD. A non-probability convenience sampling method and a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire were used. Results: In the current study, 100 women of reproductive age (15–45 years) were interviewed.70% of the participants belonged to the 21–35 age group, 98% were from urban areas, 74% were married, and 6% were illiterate. About 59% of participants had information about menstruation before menarche among them, 38% of participants mothers were the source of information. Nearly 27% participants had miss-belief regarding menstruation. 17% study subjects used cloth as a absorbent material where as 71% participant used less than two absorbent materials per day. Whereas 51% took hand wash after changing absorbent material. Nearly 12% of participants burned absorbent material, while 9% reused it and dried by sunlight. Nearly 78% of participants have been restricted activity during menstruation. Conclusion: This study shows the vital role of a source of information for appropriate knowledge of menstruation. The awareness of menstruation was found to be significantly correlated with literacy status. Good hygiene behavior was positively correlated with informant, literacy level, and family type. Socio-cultural limitations were still present among married women from joint families.

A study to evaluate adolescent girls\' practises and understanding of menstruation and menstrual hygiene

Menarche, which is connected to pubertal changes and the start of the ability to procreate, is a marker of femininity for adolescent females in Patna, Bihar. A growth surge and gonadal development take place during this time. preserving a healthy reproductive system is essential for preserving physical health and overall wellbeing. Menstrual hygiene plays a key part in this process. Therefore, it is crucial to spread information about menstruation and associated hygiene starting in adolescence in order to encourage safe practises and lessen the stress that millions of women experience. We recruited 192 Patna-based teenage females from 9th to 12th grades using total enumeration sampling. We received written informed permission from parents and verbal consent from girls before starting the study. The Institute Ethics Committee also approved us. Data collecting resolved participant questions. Out of the 192 females polled, around half of them showed signs of menstrual hygiene knowledge and admitted to using sanitary napkins. Additionally, 40.1% of the girls were aware of the signs and symptoms of poor menstrual hygiene. This study suggests a menstruation and hygiene teaching programme for teenage females in Patna, Bihar. This programme would encourage good menstruation habits in young girls, improving reproductive health and well-being.

Knowledge and Practice of Menstrual Hygiene among Female Undergraduates at a Private Tertiary Institution in Nigeria

         Menstrual hygiene is keeping the body clean while a woman is menstruating. Many females have encountered considerable difficulty maintaining menstrual hygiene because of a lack of awareness or access to menstrual products, particularly in low- andmiddle-income nations. However, knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene among female undergraduates, especially in Nigeria, are understudied. This descriptive crosssectional study investigated the knowledge, practices and barriers associated with menstrual hygiene among female undergraduates of a private university in Nigeria. Three hundred and sixty-four participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Sociodemographic data, knowledge, practice and barriers associated with menstrual hygiene were assessed using a self-report knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.         The results revealed that most respondents (72.3%) had poor knowledge of menstrual hygiene, while around half (49.2%) maintained good practices. The most common barriers to practicing menstrual hygiene among the respondents were reported as fatigue and limited water access in their dormitories. Therefore, schools of higher learning need to ensure that students have regular access to clean water with adequate time between classes to allow for proper menstrual hygiene practice. Nurses could provide menstrual education for mothers and their adolescents before getting into university. Similarly, nurses working in institutions of higher learning should provide regular menstrual hygiene awareness programs on campus and advocate for access to clean water and hygiene facilities for female students undergoing menstruation.

Assessment of Adolescent Girls' Menstrual Hygiene Knowledge and Practice in Ede South Local Government Secondary Schools, Ede, Osun State

The onset of menstruation denotes a landmark event in the pubertal development of the adolescent girl. Adolescent girls should have adequate knowledge of menstrual hygiene before menarche. Lack of adequate knowledge and good menstrual hygiene practices can have far-reaching consequences for a girl's well-being, dignity, reproductive health, and sexual health. Hygiene-related practices during menstruation are of considerable importance. This study assessed the knowledge and Practice of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in Ede South local government secondary schools, Ede, Osun State. This study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study design. The study population was adolescent girls between the ages of 10 and 19 who have attained menarche, using multi-stage sampling as the sampling technique. A structured questionnaire comprising three sections was used to elicit information from the respondents. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The result showed that the majority (62.6%) of the respondents were between 16 and 18 years old and had attained menarche at 13. Most respondents had heard about menstruation before menarche (85.0%), and mothers (79.1%) were the primary source of information. Most (89.70%) respondents had good knowledge of menstrual hygiene. Also, most (53.0%) respondents had good menstrual hygiene practices. In the test for the hypothesis, there is a significant association between sociodemographic characteristics such as tribe, class, age at menarche, and the Practice of menstrual hygiene. There is also a significant relationship between knowledge and Practice of menstrual hygiene (p = 0.017). This study concluded that the majority of the respondents had good knowledge as well as good practice regarding menstrual hygiene.   Keywords: Menstrual Hygiene, Adolescents, Knowledge, Practice

Knowledge and Practice of Menstrual Hygiene among Female Students of Government Day Senior Secondary School (GDSSS) Tal, Billiri Local Government Area, Gombe State, Nigeria

This objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and common Menstrual Hygiene (MH) practices among female students at Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Tal, Billiri Local Govt Area of Gombe State, Nigeria. A cross sectional descriptive study design was adopted for the study and a simple probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling technique was used to select a sample of 133 respondents out of a total of 194 female students aged 14 to 22 years, spread across all the three grades of senior secondary school students. A self-constructed 46-item instrument was used for data collection. The mean age at menarche (first menstrual period) for the girls was 14±1.24 years, and their average duration of menstrual flow was 3±1.04 days. A good majority (80.9%) of them exhibited either medium or higher level of knowledge of menstrual hygiene. This perhaps explains why majority (75.9%) of them used sanitary pad and 43.2% used new piece of cloth. Furthermore, majority (87.1%) of the girls were in the habit of changing pad/absorbent more than once in a day. Commendably, an overwhelming majority (90.8%) of them take bath two to three times a day, and 79.5% use soap and water for cleaning of their external genitalia, just as 66.4% of them impressively practice washing of their genitalia from front to back. Some of the factors that undermines menstrual hygiene as opined by the respondents include “No money to buy sanitary pad” (63.9%), “There is no privacy in school to change regularly” (60.0%), “Family only allows or affords use of tissue and cloth materials (34.6%) and “Religion forbids public places when menstruating (30.5%)”. Considering the above it is recommended that sustainable women and girlchild economic empowerment programmes and free school-based sanitary pad distribution interventions be deployed to the area of study.

Enhancement of Health-related Quality of Life among School-going Adolescent Girls with Improvement in Menstrual Hygiene Knowledge and Practices

Background and Aim: In India, among adolescent girls, the problem associated with menstrual hygiene management (MHM) has a deep impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Improvement in knowledge and menstrual hygiene practices may lead to enhancement in HRQoL. Therefore, the aim of the study was to enhance the HRQoL of adolescent school girls by improvement in menstrual hygiene knowledge and practices. Materials and Methods: The present study was an interventional, cross-sectional, questionnaire study conducted among adolescent school-going girls. The study was conducted among randomly selected five government secondary schools in Ajmer city and was conducted among adolescent girls of 7th–10th Class with the age group of 14–16 years. A total of 538 adolescent girls were surveyed in the pretest, and 503 was the sample size in the posttest with an attrition of 6.5%. Moreover, after the pretest, a workshop was conducted to educate adolescent girls about MHM. Results: A majority of the study participants (328 [61%]) had poor HRQoL after the pretest, which was improved to 195 (39%) of the study participants with good HRQoL after 3 months of the workshop during the posttest. The mean general health scores ([15.35 ± 0.38]) after 3 months of the workshop were significantly (P = 0.01*) higher among the study participants compared to the pretest scores ([10.93 ± 1.63]). Conclusion: From the above results, it has been concluded that there has been a significant improvement in knowledge, practice, and HRQoL among adolescent school-going girls of age 14–16 years when assessed after 3 months of the workshop on MHM.

MENSTRUAL HYGIENE KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICES AND INTERVENTIONS AMONG JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN THE KROBO AREA OF GHANA

Purpose –– This study was conducted to assess the menstrual hygiene knowledge and practices of adolescent girls in the Krobo area of Ghana. Methods –– It adopted a cross-sectional study where 245 Junior High School girls from eight schools in two municipal districts of Ghana were studied. Findings –– The study identified that only 35% of students frequently change pads, although 96% of them use sanitary pads. It was also detected that girls avoid school when they are menstruating for reasons such as severe bleeding, fear of stains, painful periods and a lack of facilities at school which impacts their academic performance negatively. Conclusion & Recommendations –– The study revealed that the majority of the girls do not change pads or dispose of them while in school due to inadequate facilities. Therefore, it is highly recommended that schools give proper education and provide appropriate facilities for girls’ academic advancement, good health and well-being. Keywords –– Menstrual hygiene, Water, Sanitation and Health, Adolescent girls, School health programme

A cross-sectional study on menstrual hygiene knowledge, practices, and problems among adolescent girls in Southern Rajasthan, India

Background: Menstruation is an exceptional phenomenon that the nature has planned for women. Most adolescent girls enter to their puberty stage without preparing themselves due to the shortage of adequate information. Most women are uncomfortable to discuss regarding “menses” as it is a social taboo and adolescent girls could not have access to gain adequate information. Aims and Objectives: The objectives of the study are as follows: To assess knowledge regarding menstruation in adolescent girls. To give details about menstrual hygiene related practices and find out associated problems. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from January to February 2018 in Udaipur city of Rajasthan. Total of 440 school going adolescent girls from 9th to 12th standards were included in study. Results: Mean age of menarche in the present study was 13.31 ± 1.03. Mothers found to be the main source of information regarding menstruation. The association between education of mother and sanitary napkin use among adolescent was found to be statistically significant. Only 23.79% adolescents with menstrual-related problems had taken treatment. Conclusions: Knowledge and practices regarding menstruation were compromised in adolescents.

A cross-sectional study to assess menstrual hygiene and school absenteeism related to menstruation among school going adolescent girls of Jalandhar district

Background: In India, lack of awareness of safe menstrual hygiene practices is an important issue of adolescent health and is related to various adverse health outcomes. In addition, lack of proper washing facilities is a key factor leading to many adolescent girls missing school due to menstruation. Objectives of current study were to assess the knowledge of menstrual hygiene and its practices among school going adolescent females, associated socio- demographic factors and the prevalence of school absenteeism due to menstruation.Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in the school going adolescent girls of 16 to 19 years age to assess the menstrual hygiene practices and related school absenteeism. A total of 180 participants were evaluated using a self-designed, self-reported and pre-tested questionnaire.Results: Less than half of the participants had prior knowledge of menstruation. Association of education of mother and prior knowledge was statistically significant. Most of the participants missed school due to menstruation. The association between excessive bleeding and absenteeism also showed statistically significant results.Conclusions: The study displayed good results regarding menstrual hygiene practices. Majority of participants had access to sanitary pads and maximum of them followed proper methods of disposal. School absenteeism due to menstruation was seen in more than half of the study population and menstruation had a huge impact on their daily lives. 

Menstrual Knowledge Status among School Going Girls in Mulundi Sub-Location, Kitui County

Menstruation is part of female human health that signifies the transition from childhood to adulthood. Correct menstrual knowledge entails having accurate knowledge of physiological changes, which accompanies body changes. Knowledge extends to being well versed with the advantages of correct menstrual practices and the consequences of poor menstrual management. Menstrual hygiene knowledge was evaluated in four (4) primary and 3 secondary schools within Mulundi sub Location. Mulundi sub Location was chosen among many areas due to its economic status, which is similar to that of most sub-Locations within Kitui County. The sampled schools draw their learner's population within the location and the immediate locations thus a good representation of the area. The study adopted a mixed-method approach, which involved the collection of qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaires administered to 140-school going girls aged between 10-19 years. The qualitative data was acquired through the use of focused group discussions and key informant interviews. The qualitative data reported as verbatim quotes suggest more campaigns are needed to enlighten girls on the menstrual subject. The study reveals that 68% of the girls could define menstruation correctly while 14% and 9% thought it was a disease and curse respectively. A percentage constituting 9% had no idea of menstruation. The parents were ranked as the highest source of menstrual information constituting a percentage of 39.1%. Based on the study findings, teachers contributed 33.2% of the menstrual knowledge by girls. Other sources of menstrual knowledge included individuals, peer educators and religious groups. Though over half of the sampled population were knowledgeable, the study recommends the inclusion of more sessions on the menstrual subject in the school’s curriculum.

Menstrual hygiene management knowledge, practice and associated factors Among School Girls, Northeast Ethiopia.

BackgroundWomen in rural settings particularly in schools suffer more from stigma and lack of services and facilities during menstruation. However, the issue has not received proper attention from school water sanitation and hygiene programs. And this study was aimed to identify knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene, and associated factors.MethodInstitution based cross-sectional study was employed among 441 school girls in Mekidela city. EpiData Version 4.6 and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 25.0 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with the outcome variables. Variables with a p-value<0.25 in the bivariable analysis were a candidate for multivariable logistic regression and p-value<0.05 in the multivariable analysis was used to declare significant association.ResultsOf the respondents, 64.9% reported good knowledge of menstrual hygiene management. In multivariable analysis; grade level (grade 11 & 12) [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.23, 95% C.I (1.19–4.16)], age ≥ 19 years [AOR = 3.45, 95% C.I (1.78–6.69)], residence [AOR = 1.90, 95% C.I: (1.12–3.23)], know sanitary pads [AOR = 2.67, 95% CI: (1.19–6.00)] and learned about menstrual hygiene [AOR = 1.71, 95% CI: (1.02–2.87)] found to be associated with knowledge. About 62.4% have good menstrual hygiene practices. Knowledge on menstrual hygiene [AOR = 1.73, 95% C.I (1.07–2.80)], know about reproductive tract/sexually transmitted infections [AOR = 2.46, 95% CI: (1.37–4.43)], having private shower [AOR = 2.04, 95% C.I 2.04(1.24–3.37)] and residence [AOR = 3.76, 95% C.I:(2.18–6.51)] were factors associated with practice.ConclusionOverall nearly two-third of respondents had good knowledge and good practice of menstrual hygiene management. Factors significantly associated with their knowledge included age, grade level, residence, learning on menstrual hygiene, and knowledge of sanitary pads. Residence, knowledge on menstrual hygiene, know about sexually transmitted infections and having a private shower were found to be associated with practice of menstrual hygiene management. In general, our finding indicates that menstrual hygiene was unsatisfactory among adolescent school girls and more should be done on the factors identified.

Effectiveness of Health Education in Improving Menstrual Hygiene Knowledge and Practices among Adolescent Girls of Rural India

Introduction : Menstruation is still surrounded by many myths, misconceptions and taboos. Adolescent girls in India, seems to have inadequate and inaccurate knowledge on menstruation and its hygiene. Improper menstrual hygiene can lead to reproductive tract infections which can adversely affect a woman's reproductive health. This study was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of health education in improving the knowledge on menstruation and menstrual hygiene practice among rural adolescent girls of India. Method:An interventional study was done among 82 college girls selected by convenient sampling in a rural area of Tamilnadu, India. Intervention done was health education on menstrual physiology and hygiene practice using animated video and interactive session in local language. Questionnaire on knowledge about menstruation and menstrual hygiene practice was administered to the participants before health education session. Improvement in knowledge and practice was assessed after one month of the session. Results: Baseline knowledge about menstruation was adequate only for 57.5 percent of participants. Baseline menstrual hygiene practice was good only among 8.8 percent of participants. Following health education, knowledge about menstruation significantly improved to 90%. Menstrual hygiene practice also showed a significant improvement from 8.8% to 30 percent%. Conclusion: This study showed that providing a comprehensive health education on menstrual physiology and hygiene would greatly improve the menstrual hygiene practice of adolescent girls.

Knowledge and Practice of Menstrual Health and Hygiene among Young People in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Background: The periodic shedding of the lining of a woman’s uterus is referred to as Menstruation, or a menstrual period. Over a period of three to five days, the uterine lining breaks down into a bloody substance. It then passes down through the cervix and exits through the vagina. Menstrual health knowledge is regarded as having knowledge of what menstruation is and the need for effective management of health during menstruation and proper menstrual hygiene management. This study seeks to assess the knowledge and practice of menstrual health and hygiene and availability of resources for effective menstrual hygiene management among young people in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among 169 young males and females of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Theological Seminary, Jos, North, Plateau State, Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used in this study and data was collected using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0. Findings: Majority of 70 (41.4%) respondents fall within the age range of 20 - 24 years old, 64 (37.9%) were within 25 - 29 years. There were more females (96, 56.8%) than males (73, 43.2%). Twenty (11.8%) were married, 149 (88.2%) were single. More than three quarters (78.1%) had good knowledge of Menstrual Hygiene. Of this, 64.4% are males and 88.5% are females. 18.3% of respondents had fair knowledge. Of this, 30.1% are males and 9 (9.4%) are females. 6 (3.6%) of respondent’s had poor knowledge of menstrual hygiene (4 (5.5%) of males and 2 (92.1%)) of females). Two-thirds of the female respondents had good practice of menstrual hygiene, while a third of the respondents had the poor practice of menstrual hygiene. Conclusion: There was good knowledge and practice of menstruation and menstrual hygiene among young people. Knowledge influences practice and the perception of young people to sensitive concepts like menstrual health and hygiene management. Reproductive health programs that reflect this should be taught in schools and communities.

A study on the knowledge and practices of menstrual hygiene among the adolescent girls of Nagaon, Barpeta District, Assam.

The onset of menstruation is an important event in a woman's lifecycle. It is associated with taboos and sociocultural restrictions. Faulty hygienic practices increase the risk of reproductive tract infections (RTI), leading to further complications if left untreated. With this background, the study was planned to assess adolescent school girls' knowledge of menstruation and menstrual hygiene as well as their practices of menstrual hygiene. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Nagaon, Barpeta district, Assam, among 170 adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years, using a convenient sampling technique. A predesigned, pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the information from the study participants. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 17 and the results were expressed in percentages. The study reveals that 91.76% of the adolescents knew that menstruation was normal. About 27.65% of the study participants did not know the cause of menstruation, and 54.12% did not know about the source of menstrual bleeding. Only 33.53% knew that uterus is the source of bleeding. About 61.76% of the study participants knew about the duration of a normal menstrual period. Regarding practices, 74.12% of the adolescents use sanitary pads during menstruation, 18.82% use cloth, and 7.06% use both cloth and sanitary pads. In about 63.53%, the method of disposal of used absorbent was throwing with domestic waste. The current study has revealed that menstruation and menstrual hygiene knowledge is poor among adolescent girls and practices regarding menstrual hygiene are not optimal.

A Cross - Sectional Study on Menstrual Hygiene Knowledge and Practices among Adolescent Girls in Tribal Population in South India

Background: World health Organisation defines adolescents as young people between 10 and 19 years of age. Around 16% of world’s population are adolescents. Transition period from childhood to adult life is termed as adolescents. It is an important and a very sensitive period in the human life cycle. Many developments like physical, mental and social development occur in this adolescent period. Knowledge about menstruation and its hygiene among adolescent girls is grossly inadequate. As a result, they suffer intense mental stress due to lack of proper guidance and support regarding proper menstrual hygiene practices. Methodology: The community-based study was conducted in Valavanthi Primary Health Centre, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. The sample size was attained by multi-stage sampling. By simple random sampling, Salem District was chosen. The respective block, primary health center and sub-centers were chosen by lottery method. Results: 73.5% girls had good knowledge about menstruation. 96.3% girls knew about the sanitary material ideally used during menstruation. 42.3% knew about the frequency of changing pad per day as 4-6 times and 98.5% girls had good knowledge about disposal of pads. 54 % of the study participants had good menstrual hygiene practices. Menstrual hygiene practices were good in adolescent girls who lived in joint families. Conclusion &amp; recommendations: Educational interventions can bring many changes for less discussed topics like menstruation. By social marketing (making low-cost sanitary pads available), better hygienic practices can be adopted. In the school curriculum, safe hygiene and sanitary practices should be included and better communication between adolescent girls and their teachers, mother. Adolescent girls to be encouraged to attend awareness program regularly conducted at Primary Health Centre and adolescent clinics.

What Explains the Rural-Urban Gap in the Use of Hygienic Methods of Menstrual Protection among Youth in the East Indian State of Bihar?

Background:Menstrual hygiene management has become a globally recognized public health issue. As evidenced by the National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4), among the states in India, Bihar accounts for the lowest use of hygienic methods of menstrual protection among youth. Further, the use in rural areas of Bihar is substantially lower than in urban areas.Objectives:Therefore, using NFHS-4 data, this study endeavors to explore the socioeconomic and demographic factors in explaining the rural-urban gap in the use of hygienic methods of menstrual protection among youth in Bihar.Methodology:A logistic regression model is used to identify the socioeconomic and demographic determinants of the use of hygienic methods, and Fairlie's decomposition technique is employed to compute the rural-urban difference in the use, and then to decompose these differentials into their separate underlying factors.Results:Findings from logistic regression analysis reveal that women's education, household wealth, media exposure, use of toilet facility, and awareness of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are the significant determinants influencing the use of hygienic methods of menstrual protection. Results from decomposition analysis indicate that while use of improved toilet facility and mass media exposure among youth reduce the rural-urban gap, the unequal distribution of women's educational qualification, wealth index, marital status, and awareness of STIs has tended to widen the gap.Conclusion:The findings suggest promotion of menstrual hygiene practices, enhancement of menstrual hygiene knowledge, opportunities for women's education, better sanitation practices, exposure of mass media, and economic incentives among youth in rural Bihar.

Effect of Peer-Led and Parent-Led Education Interventions on Menstrual Hygiene-Related Knowledge of In-School Adolescent Girls in Ogun State, Nigeria

The purposes of the study was to determine the effectiveness of peer-led and parent-led education on menstrual hygiene-related knowledge of in-school adolescent girls in Ogun state, Nigeria, which was conceptualized using the Health Belief Model. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with 120 in-school adolescent girls selected through a multistage sampling technique from four (4) secondary schools within Ogun East. A validated instrument was used for data collection. The findings showed that the adolescent girls' level of menstrual hygiene knowledge had a significant increase after the intervention. The peer-led group better predicted higher knowledge scores (mean diff = 7.13; effect size = 4.34; t = 19.091; p = 0.000). In conclusion, the peer-led education intervention was more effective in improving the level of adolescent girls' menstrual hygiene knowledge in Ogun State. It is recommended that peer educators be recruited for future interventions to change the reproductive health behaviors of adolescent girls nationally.

Awareness of Menstrual Hygiene and Factors Affecting its Practice Among Adolescent Girls in Two Selected Senior Secondary Schools in Ogun State, Nigeria

Background: In Africa, menstrual hygiene and its practices are still clouded by taboos and sociocultural restrictions, ignorance and illiteracy so that menstruation is viewed in a base manner, and considered dirty and filthy, which requires the isolation of the woman from some normal daily activities. Thus, menstrual hygiene involves the conditions and activities that promote and preserve health during menstruation. This study assessed the awareness of menstrual hygiene and factors affecting its practice among adolescent girls in two selected senior secondary schools in Ogun state, Nigeria. Method: The study utilized quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 150 respondents for the study in the two selected senior secondary schools. Descriptive statistics, correlation and T-test fixed at 0.05 significance level was conducted to give statistical responses to the research hypotheses using SPSS version 21. Result: The result showed that adolescent girls in Babcock University High School (BUHS) and Remo High School (RHS) had advanced knowledge of menstrual hygiene and they had moderate practices of menstrual hygiene, but there were factors like religion and lack of conducive facilities affecting the effective practice among adolescent girls. Furthermore, respondents’ knowledge on menstrual hygiene had no significant positive relationship with practices of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in private schools and those in public schools (r = .022, p &gt; .01). There was no significant difference between adolescent girls in private and public schools on practice of menstrual hygiene. Conclusion: Adolescent girls in BUHS and RHS had advanced knowledge of menstrual hygiene but moderate menstrual hygiene practices. This may be as a result of factors such as religion and lack of conducive facilities that hinder the effective practice among adolescent girls as identified in the study. Among other recommendations, the school administrations are advised to provide more conducive and appealing facilities for adolescent girls to practise good menstrual hygiene.