KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES RELATED TO MENSTRUATION AMONG TRIBAL ADOLESCENT GIRLS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN ODISHA, INDIA
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Keywords
Adolescent, Menstrual hygiene, practices, knowledge, Tribal school girls, India
Abstract
Background: Menstruation is a natural happening that is physiologically and psychologically momentous in women’s reproductive lives. Knowledge gaps and misconceptions about menstruation may lead to unsafe hygienic practices that increase health risks, which affect their school life. It is more common, especially in rural and tribal areas. Despite such importance, tribal girls' knowledge and hygiene practices towards menstruation are not well addressed in India. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the menstrual hygiene knowledge and practice among tribal students in Koraput, Odisha, India.
Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among tribal school students. The sample for the study consisted of 198 girls belonging to tribal in the age group of 13–18 years, recruited by purposive sampling from various schools of Koraput district of Odisha state. Inclusion criteria were those who have menarche and volunteer to participate. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and practices related to menstruation among adolescent girls. Simple descriptive analysis was done by using SPSS Ver 20.
Results: The mean age of menarche was 13 ±1.23 years respectively. Among the study participants, 62% of girls have normal menstrual cycles. Majority (49.4%) of respondents had received information from friends, followed by from mothers (39.8%). 52% use both Cloth & and disposable sanitary pads during menstruation. 35% uses only water for cleaning the genital area during menstruation.
Conclusion:
Knowledge about menstruation is poor among tribal adolescent girls and practices are not satisfactory. In this underprivileged, vulnerable tribal group, there is a need to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene, the negative effects of menstrual issues, and the availability of inexpensive sanitary napkins
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Sunita Jena
Department of Public Health, Sunrise University Alwar, Rajasthan
Itismita Biswal
Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India,
Sandeep Kumar Tripathy
Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College, Koraput, Odisha, India
Sasmita Mallick
Directorate of Public Health Odisha, India
Kallola Das
Directorate of Public Health Odisha, India
Surajit Garabadu
Directorate of Public Health Odisha, India
Binod Kumar Patro
All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, Sijua, Patrapada, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Pavan Kumar Gollapalli
Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu
C Swetha
Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical, Sciences and Hospital, Puducherry
Pandit
Department of Public Health, Sunrise University Alwar, Rajasthan