Menstrual hygiene practices among rural adolescent girls in a north Karnataka village: a cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20250319Keywords:
Menstrual hygiene management, Adolescent girls, Education, Social restrictions, Menstrual products, Rural health, Public healthAbstract
Background: Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is vital for adolescent girls' health and participation in education and society. However, rural girls face unique challenges due to cultural taboos, poor infrastructure, and limited access to menstrual products. This study aimed to assess the menstrual hygiene practices of adolescent girls in Ukkali village, Karnataka, and identify factors influencing their behaviors and social restrictions during menstruation.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 school-going adolescent girls aged 12-17 years in Ukkali village, Karnataka, from September to October 2024. Participants were selected using systematic random sampling across six schools. Data were collected through a validated self-administered menstrual hygiene questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 26.
Results: The mean age of participants was 13.9 years, with a mean age of menarche of 12.85 years. Most participants (75%) used disposable sanitary pads, 22.5% relied on cloth, and 26.4% reused materials. Hygiene practices were suboptimal, with only 35.7% washing genitals once daily and 6.1% washing only at the end of their period. Social restrictions during menstruation included avoiding places of worship (39.3%) and discontinuing physical exercise (28.6%). Significant associations were observed between menstrual flow and restrictions (p=0.010) and between genital washing frequency and restrictions (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Suboptimal menstrual hygiene practices and restrictive social norms persist among rural adolescent girls in Ukkali village. Comprehensive strategies, including education, enhanced access to menstrual products, and improved infrastructure, are essential to promote health, dignity, and gender equality.
Metrics
References
Anton B, Kim W, Nair A, Wang E. Menstrual hygiene management- evidence from the 6th round of MICS. UNICEF. Data and Analytics Section Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring 2021. Available from: https://mics.unicef.org/sites/mics/files/2024-05/MICS%20Methodological%20Paper%2011_MHM_2021.pdf. Accessed on 12 October 2024.
Roeckel S, Cabrera-Clerget A, Yamakoshi B. Guide to menstrual hygiene materials: UNICEF. 2019. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/media/ 91346/file/UNICEF-Guide-menstrual-hygiene-materials-2019.pdf. Accessed on 12 October 2024.
Mudey AB, Kesharwani N, Mudey GA, Goyal RC. A cross-sectional study on awareness regarding safe and hygienic practices amongst school going adolescent girls in rural area of Wardha District, India. Glob J Health Sci. 2010;2(2):225-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v2n2p225
Kaur R, Kaur K, Kaur R. Menstrual hygiene, management, and waste disposal: practices and challenges faced by girls/women of developing countries. J Environ Public Health. 2018;2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1730964
Chauhan S, Kumar P, Marbaniang SP, Srivastava S, Patel R, Dhillon P. Examining the predictors of use of sanitary napkins among adolescent girls: a multi-level approach. PLoS One. 2021;16(4 April):1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250788
Kyilleh JM, Tabong PT, Konlaan BB. Adolescents’ reproductive health knowledge, choices and factors affecting reproductive health choices: a qualitative study in the west Gonja District in the northern region, Ghana. BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2018;18(1):6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-018-0147-5
Rani PS. Knowledge and practices of menstrual hygiene among married adolescents and young women in Chittoor District of Andra Pradesh: India. IOSR J Nurs Health Sci. 2014;3(2):6-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9790/1959-03210615
Kansal S, Singh S, Kumar A. Menstrual hygiene practices in context of schooling: a community study among rural adolescent girls in Varanasi. Indian J Community Med. 2016;41(1):39-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.170964
Sharma S, Mehra D, Brusselaers N, Mehra S. Menstrual hygiene preparedness among schools in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis of system-and policy-level actions. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17020647
Bhusal CK. Practice of menstrual hygiene and associated factors among adolescent school girls in dang district, Nepal. Adv Prev Med. 2020;2020:1-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/1292070
Garg S, Bhatnagar N, Singh MM, Basu S, Borle A, Marimuthu Y, et al. Menstrual hygiene management and its determinants among adolescent girls in low-income urban areas of Delhi, India: a community-based study. Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2022;13:273-81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2022.0127
Vishwakarma D, Puri P, Sharma SK. Interlinking menstrual hygiene with women’s empowerment and reproductive tract infections: evidence from India. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health. 2020;10(August 2020):100668. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2020.11.001
Khanna A, Goyal RS, Bhawsar R. Menstrual practices and reproductive problems: a study of adolescent girls in Rajasthan. J Health Manag. 2005;7(1):91-107. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/097206340400700103
Anand E, Singh J, Unisa S. Menstrual hygiene practices and its association with reproductive tract infections and abnormal vaginal discharge among women in India. Sex Reprod Healthcare. 2015;6(4):249-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srhc.2015.06.001
Geertz A, Iyer L, Kasen P, Mazzolar F, Peterson K. Menstrual health in India: an update. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India. 2016. Available from: https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00W863.pdf. Accessed on 12 October 2024.
Guterres A. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020: United Nations publication issued by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs; 2020.
Parikh V, Nagar S. Menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls studying in a university of Gujarat. J Fam Med Prim Care. 2022;11:3607-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2303_21
Van Eijk AM, Sivakami M, Thakkar MB, Bauman A, Laserson KF, Coates S, et al. Menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2016;6(3):e010290. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010290
Phillips-Howard PA, Caruso B, Torondel B, Zulaika G, Sahin M, Sommer M. Menstrual hygiene management among adolescent schoolgirls in low-and middle-income countries: research priorities. Glob Health Act. 2016;9(1):33032. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v9.33032
Majeed J, Sharma P, Ajmera P, Dalal K. Menstrual hygiene practices and associated factors among Indian adolescent girls: a meta-analysis. Reprod Health. 2022;19(1):148. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01453-3