A Study To Assess Knowledge, Practices And Associated Factors Regarding Menstruation And Menstrual Hygiene Among Adolescent Girl In Selected Schools In Haryana In View To Prepare Educational Package.
Abstract
Background: Menstruation is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman’s monthly cycle. Every month, your body prepares for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, the uterus shed its lining and passes out of the body through the vagina. Menstrual hygiene refers to access to menstrual hygiene products to absorb blood during menstruation, privacy to change the materials and access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management material. Menstrual hygiene management can be particularly challenging for girls and women in developing countries, where clean water and toilet facilities are often inadequate. Adolescent girls, especially in developing countries, still lack information about good menstrual hygiene practices. Traditional supernatural beliefs about menstruation can have a negative impact on the self-respect, health and education of adolescent girls. Few studies have reported that specify infection can occur due to lack of hygiene during menstruation. If menstrual hygiene is not properly maintained, this can lead reproductive tract infection, genital tract infection, smell, cervical cancer, poor academic performance and school dropout.
Methods: In this Quantitative research approach was selected and the descriptive research resign was finalized for assessing the knowledge, practices and associated factors regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene among adolescent girl in selected schools in Haryana. Total 300 adolescent girls were enrolled in study using total enumerative sampling technique. Informed consent was taken from the participants. The tool used for assessing the knowledge regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene was self-structured questionnaire. Checklist was used to assess the practice and associated factors regarding menstrual hygiene among adolescent girl. Statistical analysis of data was done using Microsoft excel and SPSS version 20.
Result: Finding of the study showed that (86%) of students had average knowledge regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene, (9%) had good knowledge and (6%) had poor knowledge regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene. Observed practice revealed that (71%) of adolescence girl had very good practices, (28%) had good practice and only (1%) had poor practices regarding menstrual hygiene. The knowledge was significantly associated with types of family, previous knowledge and duration of menstruation at p<0.05 level of significance. The practice level was significantly associated with duration of menstruation at p<0.05 level of significance. There is a weak positive correlation present between knowledge scores and practice scores.
Conclusion: Findings of the study concluded that adolescence girls of rural area were have average knowledge and very good practice.
