Awareness and attitude towards menstruation and menstrual hygiene among college students in Ernakulam district, Kerala
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20261771Keywords:
Menstruation, Menstrual hygiene, Awareness, Attitude, College studentsAbstract
Background: Menstruation is a normal physiological process essential for women’s physical, mental, and social well-being. However, social norms, cultural beliefs, and misconceptions continue to influence perceptions regarding menstruation, particularly among young adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among college students aged 18-25 years using a pre-validated semi-structured questionnaire. Convenience sampling and online data collection were employed. A total of 315 responses were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Knowledge and attitude scores were assessed, and associations with sociodemographic variables were analyzed using the Chi-square test, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Among participants, 47.9% were females and 52.1% were males, with a mean age of 20.7 years. Overall, 54.3% demonstrated adequate knowledge regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene. Adequate knowledge was significantly higher among females, urban residents, and participants whose mothers had high school education or above. Positive attitudes towards menstruation were observed in 59% of participants and were significantly associated with nuclear family structure (p=0.021). Participants with adequate knowledge were more likely to exhibit positive attitudes (p=0.011). Misconceptions regarding menstruation were relatively less prevalent.
Conclusions: College students demonstrated moderate to adequate knowledge and generally positive attitudes towards menstruation and menstrual hygiene. Improved awareness was associated with favourable attitudes, emphasizing the role of education and family environment in promoting healthy menstrual perceptions and practices.
References
Mihm M, Gangooly S, Muttukrishna S. The normal menstrual cycle in women. Anim Reprod Sci. 2011;124(4):229-36.
Reed BG, Carr BR. The normal menstrual cycle and the control of ovulation. Endotext. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc. 2000.
WHO. Menopause. Geneva: World Health Organization. 2024. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ menopause?. Accessed on 06 January 2026.
Garg S, Anand T. Menstruation related myths in India: strategies for combating it. J Fam Med Prim Care. 2015;4(2):184-6.
Jadwat A, Bassa UB, Rungusumy A, Rughooputh MS. Level of awareness on menstrual health among university students in Mauritius. Int J Womens Health Wellness. 2021;7:122.
Sundström Poromaa I, Gingnell M. Menstrual cycle influence on cognitive function and emotion processing—from a reproductive perspective. Front Neurosci. 2014;8:380.
Coast E, Lattof SR, Strong J. Puberty and menstruation knowledge among young adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review. Int J Public Health. 2019;64(2):293-304.
Srinivasan D, Agrawal T, Attokaran T, Fathima FN, Johnson AR. Awareness, perceptions and practices regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene among students of a college in Bengaluru Urban district, South India: a cross-sectional study. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2019;6(3):1126-32.
Prajapati J, Patel R. Menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls: a cross-sectional study in urban community of Gandhinagar. J Med Res. 2015;1(4):122-5.
Karmi JA, Alshrouf MA, Haddad TA, Alhanbali AE, Raiq NA, Ghanem H, et al. Urinary and reproductive tract infection symptoms and menstrual hygiene practices in refugee camps in Jordan: a cross-sectional study. Womens Health (Lond). 2024;20:17455057241240920.
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 Healthc. 2015;6(4):249-54.
Balamurugan SS, Bendigeri N. Community-based study of reproductive tract infections among women of the reproductive age group in the urban health training centre area in Hubli, Karnataka. Indian J Community Med. 2012;37(1):34-8.
Dahiya M, Rathi V. Relationship between age at menarche and early-life nutritional status in India. Br J Sports Med. 2010;44(1):i42-6.
El-Gilany AH, Badawi K, El-Fedawy S. Menstrual hygiene among adolescent schoolgirls in Mansoura, Egypt. Reprod Health Matters. 2005;13(26):147-52.
Pokhrel S. Impact of health education on knowledge, attitude and practice regarding menstrual hygiene among pre-university female students of a college located in urban area of Belgaum. IOSR J Nurs Health Sci. 2014;3(1):38-44.
Nair MKC, Chacko DS, Darwin MR, Padma K, George B, Soman S. Menstrual disorders and menstrual hygiene practices in higher secondary school girls. Indian J Pediatr. 2012;79(1):S74-8.
Haque SE, Rahman M, Itsuko K, Mutahara M, Sakisaka K. The effect of a school-based educational intervention on menstrual health: an intervention study among adolescent girls in Bangladesh. BMJ Open. 2014;4(7):e004607.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
