RGUHS Nat. J. Pub. Heal. Sci Vol No: 9 Issue No: 3 eISSN: 2584-0460
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1Post Graduate Scholar Part 2, Department of Practice of Medicine, A M Shaikh Homoeopathic Medical College, Hospital and PG Research Centre, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
2Dr. Deepthi Baddepudi, Post Graduate Scholar Part 2, Department of Practice of Medicine, A M Shaikh Homoeopathic Medical College, Hospital and PG Research Centre, Belagavi, Karnataka, India.
3Professor, PG Guide, Department of Practice of Medicine, A M Shaikh Homoeopathic Medical College, Hospital and PG Research Centre, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
4Professor, PG Guide, Department of Practice of Medicine, A M Shaikh Homoeopathic Medical College, Hospital and PG Research Centre, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
*Corresponding Author:
Dr. Deepthi Baddepudi, Post Graduate Scholar Part 2, Department of Practice of Medicine, A M Shaikh Homoeopathic Medical College, Hospital and PG Research Centre, Belagavi, Karnataka, India., Email: deepthi163baddepudi@gmail.com
Abstract
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.
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Introduction
Menstruation is a physiological condition that women and adolescent girls experience every month. The onset of menses occurs during the adolescent period, which is characterized by both physiological and emotional changes. Approximately 12.3% to 75% of girls in underdeveloped nations utilize subpar goods like cotton wool, new or old garments, underwear alone, and sponges as they cannot afford or procure clean sanitary materials.1,2
Menstrual hygiene negligence has been linked to adverse outcomes such as urinary tract and reproductive tract infections, which can result in infertility and difficult deliveries in the future.3 A woman's life is inevitably impacted by her menstrual hygiene. Menstruation's physiology, pathology, and psychology have all been linked to women's health and wellbeing, making it a significant factor in the morbidity and mortality of the female population.4,5
Girls’ and women’s health and education depend on good menstrual hygiene. Consequently, a better understanding of menstruation from an early age could improve safe practices and lessen the suffering of millions of women.2
Thus, this study was undertaken to assess the status of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in urban and rural schools.
Objective of the study
To compare the menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in urban and rural areas of Belagavi.
Materials and Methods
Source of data
The study data were collected through a ‘Menstrual hygiene management survey questionnaire’ from two rural and urban schools in Belagavi.
Type of research: Survey study
Sampling technique: Purposive sampling
Sample size: 100
Duration of the study: Six months
Tools used in the study: Validated menstrual hygiene management questionnaire.6
Selection criteria
Inclusive criteria
- Young adolescent high school girls in the age group of 12 -16 years.
- Subjects willing to provide assent.
Exclusion criteria
Subjects who have not attained menarche.
Results
The knowledge regarding menstrual hygiene among urban school girls was found to be higher (54%), compared to rural school girls (36%) (Table 1).
Table 2 depicts that the practice score of menstrual hygiene among rural school girls was about 40%, while it was 42% in urban school girls.
The attitude score towards menstrual hygiene among rural school girls was about 14% and it was 12% among urban school girls.
Discussion
Baishakhi P et al. stated that 37.52% of girls were aware of menstruation before menarche, of which 44.70% were from urban area and 30.7% were from rural area.
Similar study conducted by Patel et al. reported that 63.38% girls in urban areas were aware of the menstruation before menarche as compared to 47.57% girls in rural areas.
In a study evaluating the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Himani Nautiyal et al. found that urban areas exhibited the highest percentage scores compared to rural areas.
The present study aimed to evaluate the practices, knowledge, and attitudes regarding menstrual hygiene among adolescent schoolgirls in both rural and urban areas. It was a survey study conducted in both urban and rural schools of Belagavi. The data were collected using a validated menstrual hygiene questionnaire.
In this study, one hundred subjects participated, with 50 each from rural and urban schools. The findings of Vidyashree J et al., RNJPH 2024;9(1):22-24 this study indicate that urban school adolescent girls exhibited greater practice, knowledge, and attitude towards menstrual hygiene in comparison to their rural counterparts.
Conclusion
Enhancing comprehension of menstruation from a young age could enhance adherence to safe practices and alleviate the discomfort experienced by countless women. Girls should be educated about healthy and good menstrual hygiene practices, physiological implications, traditional beliefs and misconceptions regarding menstruation.
Conflict of interest
None
Supporting File
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References
- Anbesu EW, Asgedom DK. Menstrual hygiene practice and associated factors among adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health 2023;23(1):33.
- Dasgupta A, Sarkar M. Menstrual hygiene: How hygienic is the adolescent girl? Indian J Community Med 2008;33(2):77.
- Van Eijk AM, Sivakami M, Thakkar MB, et al. Menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open 2016;6(3):e010290.
- Singh A, Chakrabarty M, Singh S, Chandra R, Chowdhury S, Singh A. Menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent women in rural India: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):2126.
- Wagh RV, Upadhye AJ, Upadhye JJ. Menstrual hygiene practices in young girls of urban India. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol 2018;7(5):1897.
- Appendix-C3: School component study: MHM survey National Hygiene Survey 2012 [Internet]. Bmj.com. [cited 2023 Nov 22]. Available from:https:// bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/7/7/e015508/ DC1/embed/inline-supplementary-material-1.pdf? download=true