Menstrual Practices Research Articles

Menstrual hygiene management and menstrual secrecy among young women in rural Lao PDR: A cross-sectional study.

As a fundamental right, all women should have equal access to menstrual hygiene management (MHM). However, certain sociocultural contexts foster an atmosphere of secrecy surrounding menstruation, which discourages open discussion. The present study seeks to explore the relationship between attitudes on menstrual secrecy and MHM practices among young women in rural areas of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). In March 2023, a cross-sectional survey using semi-structured self-administered questionnaires was conducted on 80 women (age range, 15-24 years) randomly selected from eight villages in the central part of Lao PDR. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the associations between sociodemographic and economic characteristics, MHM practices, social support, and attitudes toward secrecy regarding menstruation. Among the 70 respondents, 68 (97.1%) reported being satisfied with current MHM practices; however, 27 (38.6%) agreed that menstruation should not be discussed with others. Some women lacked access to private spaces for changing pads or washing. The results of the logistic regression analysis indicated that women with higher monthly disposable income were less likely to endorse menstruation secrecy (odds ratio: 0.15, 95% confidence interval: 0.02-0.85). No significant associations were found between MHM practices and attitudes on secrecy. Although no direct association was found between MHM practices and attitudes on menstruation secrecy, some participants remain in unfavorable MHM environments.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Menstrual Hygiene among Adolescent Girls in Urban and Rural Schools of Belagavi - An Observational Study

Background Due to taboos and sociocultural constraints surrounding menstruation and menstrual practices teenage girls continue to be unaware of scientific facts and hygienic health practices about their periods which can result in adverse health effects in the future.Objective To compare menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in urban and rural areas of Belagavi.Methods This observational survey study which included 100 young adolescent high school girls aged 12-16 years as per inclusion and exclusion criteria was carried out in rural and urban schools in Belagavi. Data were collected using a menstrual hygiene management survey questionnaire regarding the knowledge practice and attitude towards menstrual hygiene.Results This observational survey study revealed that awareness and hygiene practices during menstruation were quite low in rural adolescent high school girls compared to urban adolescent high school girls.Conclusion This study concludes that practice knowledge and attitude towards menstrual hygiene was higher among adolescent girls in urban schools as compared to rural adolescent girls.

Tool-Kit Assisted Hygienic Menstrual Practices through Design Thinking of Social Innovation Course

Social problems have been a part of the society since ages and efforts to address them have been on practice along with. The evolution of knowledge society and the technology have enabled better ways of addressing such problems. In this context, the present study “ Design Thinking for Social Innovation” was undertaken by Freshman students of undergraduate engineering students to identify a relevant social challenge and address it with the aid of design thinking process. Inadequate awareness and education about hygienic menstrual practices is one such major but less discussed social problem among the various genderspecific issues. Despite the modern days advancement with digital tools and social media, social taboos, misbeliefs and unwarranted phobias pertaining to the phenomenon are widely prevalent in several sections of the society. The different phases of design thinking: Empathy, Define, Ideate and Prototype were employed for understanding the insights and different dimensions of the challenge. The different stakeholders of the challenge, possible ideas and solutions were generated through the process. Finally an organized solution in the form of designing an informative website and tool-kit containing the key menstrual products and their demonstration was implemented as part of solution. The stakeholders were educated about menstruation, hygienic menstrual practices and their myths were busted as part of the exercise. The student team gained an immersive experience of identifying and addressing a social challenge using design thinking process. Keywords— Design thinking; Empathy, Menstruation; Social innovation; Stakeholders

Knowledge and Practice Regarding Menstrual Hygiene among School Going Adolescents of Kohalpur Municipality

Background: Menstruation is still considered as stigma in our society. The talks and discussion regarding menstruation is not quite acceptable because of shame and fear. Therefore many girls and women have become the victim of sour incidents like diseases ,rape ,death ,depression etc. We made a small effort to access knowledge and practice regarding menstrual hygiene among school going adolescent girls of Kohalpur municipality through study. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted from June to September 2021 among 359 students from grade eight, nine and ten of 4 different schools of Kohalpur municipality. Semiopen questionnaire were prepared and analysis was done to access knowledge and practice regarding menstrual hygiene. Results: 90.3% females had adequate knowledge about menstrual hygiene while 9.75 % females had poor knowledge .Majority of females were engaged in good menstrual practices. Conclusions: Majority of females had adequate knowledge about menstrual hygiene but it has not being adequately brought into practices and the attitude of females towards menstrual hygiene is still unsatisfactory. As a result there is a need of awareness programs regarding menstrual hygiene and its management.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Menstrual Hygiene Management Among Adolescent Schoolgirls (10-19 Years) in the Saurashtra Region, Gujarat.

Background Menstrual health management proves pivotal for the adoption of hygienic practices and the embracement of womanhood from the onset of menarche. Menstrual hygiene is pivotal yet under-addressed among adolescent girls in India. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding menstrual hygiene and influencing factors. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among 361 adolescent schoolgirls aged 10-19 years in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat using a pretested questionnaire. Multistage sampling was used. In the first stage, six schools (three rural and three urban) were selected through random sampling. In the second stage, all adolescent girls aged 10-19 years in the selected schools who had attained menarche were invited to participate. Those who provided written assent were included in the study. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results Knowledge about menstruation was evenly distributed as good (47.65%) and poor (52.35%). Most relied on mothers for information and considered menstruation a normal phenomenon. Attitudes reflected complex cultural perceptions. The use of sanitary pads was high (96.12%), although 39.89% used reused absorbents. Multivariate analysis revealed age 16-19 years (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14-3.81), higher parental education, pit latrine usage (AOR = 6.7, 95% CI = 2.97-15.15), and knowledge about menstruation (AOR = 8.21, 95% CI = 4.56-14.78) as positive predictors of good menstrual practices. Conclusions Despite the widespread use of sanitary pads, the persisting knowledge gap and sociocultural influences lead to unhygienic practices. Improving awareness and attitudes through educational interventions among adolescent girls and mothers, in particular, addressing cultural taboos through the engagement of all stakeholders, and improving sanitation infrastructure in schools are imperative.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Menstrual Health and Hygiene among Adolescent Girls

The goal of the study is to assess and improve Knowledge Attitude and Practice regarding Menstrual Health and Hygiene among study subject and to identify possible risk associated with unhygienic menstrual practices among study subject. An educational interventional study was carried out among 166 samples in selected schools and colleges of North Bengaluru. The data was collected by using self-designed content validated questionnaire and responses were recorded. All information’s were processed and analyzed by using Microsoft Excel. It was found that most of the subject’s knowledge towards menstruation was found to be improved after suitable intervention. As well as Attitude and Practice were also improved among study subjects. Menstrual hygiene practices can be improved by imparting appropriate educational interventional strategies and implementing various community awareness programs related to menstruation hygiene knowledge, attitude, and practice.

Knowledge and its Association with Menstrual Hygiene Practices Among School Going Adolescents of Tokha Municipality

Menstrual hygiene is crucial for women's health and well-being, but societal acceptance of menstruation remains a significant issue in Nepal. Despite government efforts to reduce stigma, the health of women, children, and adolescents is still affected by its widespread superstitions. As a result, studies on menstrual knowledge and hygiene practices among adolescents in Nepal are scarce. The primary goal of this study is to further understand the depth of adolescent girls' knowledge about menstruation and its association with menstrual hygiene practices. In order to address this, we performed a descriptive cross-sectional study in Tokha municipality of Kathmandu as the study area. The study population consisted of female teenagers studying in randomly selected schools. A total of 404 samples were collected. Statistical significance of the association between the independent and dependent study variables were assessed using the chi-square test and logistic regression. We found that about 78.5% of the total of respondent had knowledge about menstruation, and mothers were main source of information. Menstrual practices, such as type of material used (AOR=2.549 95%CI= 1.078-6.710), frequency of cleaning genitalia at least two times (AOR=1.639; 95% CI=1.214-6.328), at least 3 times (AOR= 3.119; 95% CI=1.429-9.328) and product used to clean genitalia (AOR= 0.623 95%CI= 1.429-9.328) were associated with knowledge of respondents. It can be stated that teenage schoolgirls generally have decent knowledge about menstruation. Menstrual health issues are a concern that has to be addressed. Our study implicates that adolescent menstrual hygiene practices are associated with menstrual knowledge.

Socio-cultural practices and experiences of menstruation among adolescents and women of Kurichiya tribe of Wayanad: an ethnographic study

Background: Menstruation and related cultural practices are widespread in Indian communities, particularly in tribal settlements. Past studies have highlighted the negative impact of these practices on women's mental health and well-being. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the specific effects of these practices on women's lives. Methods: This study utilised an urban ethnographic research design to explore cultural practices and lived experiences within urban settings. It focused on Kurichiya settlements in Wayanad's Chennalode area, part of Kalpetta municipal town in Kerala's Wayanad district. Fourteen participants, women and adolescent girls aged 15 to 50, were involved in the study. Results: The qualitative analysis identified three core themes: cultural practices of menstruation, women’s menstrual experiences, and perspectives on menstrual practices. The examination of cultural practices revealed subthemes: menarche celebration and monthly period rituals. Women's menstrual experiences encompassed emotional experiences during menarche and each monthly period. Perspectives on menstrual practices highlighted effects on mental well-being and participant’s advocacy for change. Conclusions: The study portrayed how traditional practices affect daily life for Kurichiya women, causing emotional disruption. Despite some liberalisation, a full shift in these customs remains elusive in current times.

Does women empowerment associate with reduced risks of intimate partner violence in India? evidence from National Family Health Survey-5.

Women empowerment is commonly believed to be an important factor affecting a woman's likelihood of facing violence from her intimate partner. Even as countries invest in policies that aim to strengthen women empowerment, studies show that increase in women empowerment does not necessarily decrease intimate partner violence (IPV) against them. Against this paradox, the present study seeks to understand the specific empowerment components that associate with IPV against women in India. It also studies the state-level distribution of the different types of IPV. The study analyses state-level data from the National Family Health Survey, India (2019-21). A total of 72,056 women responded to the domestic violence questionnaire. The Dimension Index (DI) was used to compute composite scores for Women Empowerment and for IPV to rank states and Union Territories. The correlation between Women Empowerment and IPV scores was determined using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The state of Karnataka had the highest composite score of IPV and also showed the highest burdens of physical, sexual and emotional IPV, while Lakshadweep had the lowest burden. Physical IPV was the most common form of IPV for most states across the country. The states in the western part of India had reduced burdens for all three types of IPV. Three specific components of empowerment, viz. household decision-making and mobile phone ownership significantly associated with reduction of all three types of IPV. Hygienic menstrual practices strongly associated with reduction of sexual and emotional IPV. However, property ownership of women increased risks of all three types of IPV, while employment had no significant association with any type of IPV. The study found no significant reduction in overall IPV with improvement in women empowerment. However, it identifies components of empowerment that associate with IPV. Household decision-making, ownership of mobile phones, and hygienic menstrual practices associated with a lowered risk. By contrast, owning property increased the risk. The findings of this study would inform future research and intervention that aim to strengthen specific components of women empowerment in India and other low-and-middle-income countries.

Staff perceptions of support for early menarche in Australian primary schools: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT The age of the onset of menstruation, termed menarche, has been declining for decades worldwide. Approximately 12% of Australian girls reach menarche between eight to 11 years of age. Current health and physical education subject guidelines from the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority state that puberty education should be introduced to students between year levels five to six (ages 10–12) when many have already begun puberty. To explore how girls experiencing early menarche are currently supported in Australian primary schools, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 15 primary school staff from separate schools, including teachers, principals, a school services officer, and a school counsellor. Thematic analysis identified three main themes, (1) the prevalence of deficit models of early menarche and children’s capacity to know; (2) gendered gatekeeping of menstruation knowledge; and (3) systemic barriers and inconsistencies in menstruation education. Our analysis complements but extends recent calls for improvements to menstruation education in Australian schools. Affirmative menstrual support practices and facilities are needed in primary schools to normalise and encourage conversations with students about menarche and menstruation irrespective of age, gender, class or culture.

Dynamics of usage of menstrual hygiene and unhygienic methods among young women in India: a spatial analysis

BackgroundMenstruation, especially the menstrual cycle, is a vital sign for female adolescent health and maintaining menstrual hygiene is of utmost importance for menstruating girls and women. However, menstrual hygiene and management are issues that have not received adequate attention. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore spatial patterns of menstrual hygiene practices in India and to identify their socioeconomic and demographic determinants among women aged 15–24 years.MethodsThe study utilized data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted during 2019–21 in India. The analysis was limited to 241,180 women aged 15–24 years. The statistical methods range from multinomial logistic regression, spatial autocorrelation in terms of Moran’s I statistics, to spatial regression in order to understand the spatial dependence and clustering in different methods of menstrual practices across the districts of India.ResultsAlmost half of the respondents (49.8 percent) reported using hygienic methods of bloodstain protection, while 22.7 percent still relied on unhygienic methods and 27.5 percent reported using both hygienic and unhygienic methods during their menstruation. Factors like age, place of residence, caste, religion, education, wealth index and toilet facility were found to be significantly associated with the use of unhygienic and both methods. It was also observed that the percentage of women practicing hygienic methods was predominantly higher in the Southern region. On the other hand, states like Madhya Pradesh and Bihar appeared to be hotspots for unhygienic menstrual practices. The univariate Moran’s I value for unhygienic and both methods were 0.722 and 0.596, respectively, depicting high spatial autocorrelation across districts in India. In spatial regression, rural residence, illiteracy, poverty, and no toilet facility were found to be statistically significant predictors of the use of unhygienic method and both methods.ConclusionYoung women should be educated about the importance of menstrual hygiene practices and the physiological consequences of unhygienic practices. Furthermore, interventions should target socio-economically disadvantaged women to increase the use of sanitary napkins.

An epidemiological study of period poverty among females of reproductive age group in Lucknow (U.P.).

Females in developing countries face brunt of lack of access to affordable menstrual supplies and inequitable distribution of menstrual health education and are victims of period poverty. The objective of the present study was to estimate prevalence of period poverty and to determine association of period poverty with socio-demographic determinants, menstrual knowledge, menstrual hygiene management practices, and reproductive health. This was an analytical cross-sectional study, conducted at an urban primary health care centre. Reproductive age group (20-49 years) females attending the primary health care centre from December 2022 to May 2023 were selected for study. Data were collected on semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaires. The collected data were entered in M.S Excel and analysed in STATA version 17.0. Chi-square test was used for comparison of qualitative data, and for quantitative data, unpaired t-test was used. The prevalence of period poverty in the present study was 92 (29.7%). The mean age of females with period poverty was 29.72 ± 7.13 years, and it was 26.45 ± 6.62 years with no period poverty (P 0.001). Period poverty was significantly associated with socio-demographic variables. Period poverty had significant association with menstrual knowledge, menstrual hygiene management practices, and reproductive health. Many females cannot afford menstrual health products to meet their monthly needs, and this may affect their education and socio-economic status. Improved access to affordable sanitary products is requisite of females.

Effects of the Involvement of Male Counterparts in the Menstrual Hygiene Management of Women and Adolescent Girls With Disabilities in Selected Sub-districts of Bangladesh: Protocol for a Quasi-experimental Study.

Background Women and adolescent girls with disabilities suffer the most difficulties during menstruation days in developing countries like Bangladesh. They deal with menstruation in a hazardous and unclean manner. In Bangladesh, men serve as the family's gatekeepers for health-seeking behavior. But they frequently have no idea how unpleasant and demanding menstruation can be. Menstrual hygiene care for women and adolescent girls with disabilities can be improved by involving male peers. In Bangladesh, no such intervention has been assessed. The purpose of the study is to assess the effects of male participation on menstrual hygiene management of women and adolescent girls with disabilities in Bangladesh. Methods This will be a quasi-experimental study with a sample size of 120 (60 - control, 60 - intervention). The study will be conducted in a sub-district of Bogura and Chapainawabganj in Bangladesh. Inclusion criteria for the study participants are women and adolescent girls with disabilities (intervention and control groups) and male counterparts (intervention group). The exclusion criteria for this study are women and adolescent girls with mental and intellectual disabilities. Engaging male peers in menstrual hygiene management is the key intervention in the study. No blinding or randomization will be applied. The expected primary outcome in the intervention group will be an improvement in the menstrual hygiene management of women and adolescent girls with disabilities in the selected sub-districts of Bangladesh. Two times data will be collected from the intervention and control groups using the 'Menstrual Practice Needs Scale-36', 'Perceived Stress Scale', and 'Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support'. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test will be applied to a two-point data series to assess statistical significance. Results The result of the study will be published in a scientific journal. The outcomes of the research will be disseminated to local policymakers and health planners. The health administrator will get evidence-based information on gender-inclusive menstrual hygiene management for women and adolescent girls with disabilities through study result dissemination events. Conclusion This protocol for a quasi-experimental study in Bangladesh highlights the potential advantages of involving male peers in the menstrual hygiene management of women and adolescent girls with disabilities. It may promote gender-inclusive behavior in selected subdistricts of Bangladesh.

The Knowledge, Pattern and Practice of Menstrual Hygiene among Female Secondary School Students in Ogbomoso, South-west Nigeria

Background: Adolescent girls in developing countries may lack appropriate information, meansor materials, and access to the right sanitary facilities to manage menstruation. Hence, they haveadopted unsafe hygienic practices during menstruation that in turn have a negative impact ontheir health and education. Aim: Thus, this study aimed to assess the pattern and practices ofmenstrual hygiene and its associated factors among secondary school girls in Ogbomoso.Methodology: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2022 amongsecondary school girls. A total of 460 girls were selected randomly and interviewed using astructured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was employed toidentify predictors of good menstrual hygiene management practices. Results: Overall, 76.3% ofthe girls had satisfactory menstrual hygiene management practices. (88%) of them usedcommercial sanitary pads as absorbent, 56.4% changed sanitary materials more than three timesa day, 22% of them experienced restrictions and 68.3% cleaned their external genitalia dailyduring their menstruation. 37.1% of the respondents reused the absorbent material and 86.8 usedsoap and water to wash the absorbent material being reused, while 58.9% dried the absorbentmaterials indoors. 51% of the respondents change the absorbent material thrice a day and above70% change in the bathroom. The majority of the respondents disposed of the absorbentmaterial by burning (64.8%) while 27.9% disposed of the materials in the toilet. Conclusion: Inthis study, the practice of proper menstrual hygiene management of secondary schoolgirls wasquite satisfactory when compared with findings in previous studies in the same geographicalarea. The majority of the respondents had mothers with tertiary education and these motherswere mainly responsible for the provision of information about menstruation and its hygienemanagement. Hence, it is important to state that the role of mothers, their level of education andthe information about menstrual hygiene cannot be overemphasized as it pertains to knowledgeof menstruation and the practice of menstrual hygiene.

Perceptions Regarding Menstrual Cups among Medical Students of Tertiary Care Hospitals

Abstract Background: Menstruation is a normal body function and a sign of reproductive health. Today, there is a lot of discussion about menstrual hygiene and its management, which is important for the well-being of women everywhere. Due to traditional beliefs, a lack of awareness and information about ideal sanitary practices, and restricted availability of suitable and cheap menstrual hygiene products, managing menstruation hygiene can be difficult in low-income settings and among school-aged girls. The vaginal menstruation cup is an alternative to sanitary pads or tampons for managing menstrual hygiene. Aims: The aim the study is to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice on menstrual cups among medical students of tertiary medical college. Methodology: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 247 medical students of JSS Medical College, JSS AHER, Mysuru. Data were collected using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included sociodemographic profile and questions regarding students’ knowledge, perception, and menstrual cup usage. Data were entered into a Microsoft Excel sheet, and scoring was done and analyzed into descriptive statistics like percentages. Results: Out of 247 students, 98% were aware of menstrual cups and 118 (47.7%) had good knowledge of menstrual cups, 105 (42.5%) had a positive attitude regarding the usage of cups, and 16 (6.4%) practiced using menstrual cups. 59.9% of students reported media as their source of information. Conclusion: The study concludes that even though 98% were aware of menstrual cups, &lt;50% have good knowledge, positive attitude, and practice. Limited knowledge and misconception regarding the menstrual cup should be addressed for better menstrual health and practice.

Menstrual health and hygiene management among female college students and their mothers in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, India

Background: A two-generation study on menstrual health and hygiene practices among daughters and their mothers is limited. In this study, the primary objective was to compare menstrual health practices, period poverty and menstrual hygiene practices between female college students and their mothers. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 female college students (mean age 19 years) and their mothers (n=500, mean age 41 years) in the Thoothukudi district. Five colleges were selected from the twenty colleges in the district using simple random sampling. From the list of students from the selected colleges, female students were selected using computer-generated random numbers and the mothers of all the selected students were included in the study. Information on menstrual health, period poverty and menstrual hygiene was collected using a pre-tested structured interview schedule. Results: Among daughters, 80.4% speak about menstrual pain more than mothers 44% (p&lt;0.001). Of the daughters, 46.2% and 19.8% of the mothers had information about menstruation before menarche (p&lt;0.001). Among daughters 63% and among mothers 30.2% are embarrassed about buying period products (p&lt;0.001). Sanitary pad use among daughters was 93.2% compared to 69.9% among mothers (p=0.001). Using cloth as their menstrual product was reported by 21.8% of daughters and 50.4% of mothers (p=0.001). Conclusions: During menstruation, daughters reported better hygiene practices than their mothers. However, some of the daughters still use clothes as menstrual material, which needs improvement.

Improved menstrual health and the workplace: An RCT with female Bangladeshi garment workers

Menstrual hygiene practices in low-income countries are often limited by lack of finances and information, with potentially adverse consequences for women’s well-being and workplace outcomes. In a randomized controlled trial with around 1,900 female workers from four Bangladeshi garment factories, we relax both constraints individually and jointly by providing free sanitary pads and information on hygienic menstrual practices. Both access to sanitary pads and information improve menstrual practices, either by the adoption of new products, or by knowledge gains and improved use of traditional materials, and both interventions improve health outcomes. However, these positive effects do not translate to better labor outcomes, such as earnings and work attendance.

Bleeding at the Margins: Understanding Period Poverty among SC and ST Women Using Decomposition Analysis

Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) women in India have relatively lower usage of period products than women of the General category. This paper attempts to understand and uncover the social factors explaining inequalities in the period product usage among these groups. This paper uses data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted in 2019–21, for this study, with a sample of 49,136 SC, 44,392 ST, and 41,045 General caste women in the age group of 15 to 24 years. Using the Fairlie decomposition method, we explain the inequalities in the period product usage between SC, ST, and general categories. Differences in wealth index (SC-Gen: 49.54%; ST-Gen: 46.6%), respondent’s education level (SC-Gen: 22.85%; ST-Gen: 17.3%), watching television (SC-Gen: 09.44%; ST-Gen: 10.1%), reading newspaper (SC-Gen: 08.71%; ST-Gen: 05.09%), and toilet facility (SC-Gen: 06.36%; ST-Gen: 03.05%) account for a large portion of the gap in the period product usage among these groups. Government, policymakers, and NGOs should focus on creating comprehensive menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) programmes, including educational programmes and mass media campaigns, while increasing focus on disadvantaged communities, viz. SCs and STs to make the necessary nudge for girls and women to adopt hygienic menstrual practices.

Practices Regarding Iron Supplements and Iron Rich Foods among Adolescent Girls at Islamic Senior High School

The primary nutritional concern among adolescent girls is iron-deficiency anemia, which requires prompt attention to prevent complications during pregnancy. One of the strategies for prevention involves the consumption of iron supplements (IS) and high-iron foods. This study aims to delineate the menstrual history, eating patterns, and practice associated with consuming IS and high-iron foods. Employing a descriptive approach, the research was conducted at Islamic Senior High School (MAN 2) Kudus. The sample, comprising 184 individuals, was selected through purposive sampling. The research employed a questionnaire and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) as instruments. The findings indicate that only 19.6% of the respondents reported having IS always available at home. The majority (62.0%) had consumed IS at some point. However, only 8.1% consumed IS regularly during menstruation, and 4.3% consumed it regularly when not menstruating. The majority of respondents frequently consumed high-iron foods (1-5 times per week), including chicken/duck (84.8%), eggs (80.4%), fish (76.7%), and meat (60.9%). It is hoped that schools and local healthcare services can enhance educational efforts regarding the benefits of IS consumption for adolescent girls. The practice of consuming IS and high-iron foods from halal sources are a part of maintaining bodily health and constitutes an obligation for every Muslim.&#x0D;

Mapping the Expertise and Understanding of Menarche, Menstrual Hygiene, and Menstrual Health among Adolescent Ladies in Low- and Center-Profit Nations

Mapping the Expertise and Understanding of Menarche, Menstrual Hygiene, and Menstrual Health among Adolescent Ladies in Low- and Center-Profit Nations