Knowledge and Practices of Menstrual Hygiene among Married Adolescents and Young Women in Chittoor District Of Andra Pradesh: India

Abstract

Background: Adolescent girls often lack knowledge regarding reproductive health including menstruation which can be due to socio-cultural barriers in which they grow up. The menstrual hygiene related practices of female in the adolescence period can have effect on their health. Issues associated with menstruation are never discussed openly and this burdens adolescent girls by keeping them ignorant of this biological function. Among the various sub groups of women, reproductive health of married adolescence and young women is of crucial and especially in a state like Andhra Pradesh. Aims and Objectives: To assess the knowledge and practices of menstrual hygiene among married adolescent and young women. Methods and materials:The present study was conducted among 400 married adolescent and young women who are in the age group of 15-25 years, residing in Tirupati division, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. A community based cross sectional study was conducted in 4 mandals of tirupati division. The subjects were selected randomly from the eligible couple registers available with the health workers. The interview technique was used to collect the data with the help of pre-designed, pre-tested questioner prepared by the investigator. Results : The average of the respondent is 19.6 years and average age at menarchy was 13.2 years. The mean scours of respondents' menstrual hygiene is observed to be significantly (p<0.01) very high among those who belong to nuclear families than among those from joint families. It is further, conspicuous to note that the differences in mean scores of menstrual hygiene across respondents' and spouses' level of educational attainment turn out to be highly significant (p<0.01 and p<0.01, respectively). level of menstrual hygiene appear to be increasing (significant at moderate level; p<0.05) with an increase in time spent on watching TV / listening to radio. It is also interesting to note that the average level of menstrual hygiene of those respondents who marred their blood relatives is found to be higher (and moderately significant; p<0.05) than those who married with non-blood relatives. On the other hand, the mean score of menstrual hygiene appear to be marginally lower among those who are adhering to large number of restrictions during menstruation than those who are following small number of such restrictions. Conclusion: Many factors are known to affect menstrual hygiene along with education and occupation of married adolescent/young woman and her spouse. There is a need of adolescent girls to get adequate information about healthy menstrual practices. The medical health care personal have to organize village level/urban slum level meetings/camps to interact with married adolescent and young women to increase their awareness on menstrual hygiene. Most of the adolescent and young women were not consumed balanced diet due to food restrictions and taboos during menstruation. Hence, it is suggested to conduct extensive nutrition educational programmes along with health education by the health functionaries.