Volume : 7, Issue : 5, May - 2018

A Study About Menstrual Hygiene & Practices Among Tribal Adolescent School Girls of Bastar, Chhattisgarh (India)

Teeku Sinha, Dipti Pandey, Deeparani Dewangan, Dona Treesa Vincent, Divya Shrivastava

Abstract :

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:134.3pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:&#10;115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Background:- </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Menstruation is a usual physiological process generally considered as unhygienic in the Indian society. A negative attitude is reinforced toward this occurrence often resulting in sociocultural boundaries being imposed on menstruating girls, and many unhygienic practices during menstruation are linked with Reproductive tract infection and Urinary tract infections.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="Normal1" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:&#10;none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:&#10;yes"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;&#10;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Objectives:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">- To assess the knowledge regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls of rural tribal area and find out practices of menstrual hygiene .<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:134.3pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:134.3pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:&#10;115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Methodology: </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">-A community based, cross-Sectional observational study was conducted among adolescent girls residing at ASHRAM in rural tribal area. Pre designed semi- structured questionnaire were administered to collect information.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>11-19 years of students were taken as study subject. Data were analyzed by MS excel 2007.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:134.3pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">R<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">esult:-</b> Out of total 186 Adolescent girls 34.4% were aware about menstruation prior to attainment of menarche, and mother and friends play the key role in providing information, and out of which 36% knew about menstrual hygiene.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>76.8% respondents were using sanitary pads during menstruation,10.7% used clothes and 11.8% using clothes and both(clothes ,pad) respectively. The reason for school absenteeism was attributed to pain during menstruation by 4.3% of the girls.89.7% clean external genitalia during menstruation and after each use of toilet .11.8% of girls reported restrictions from eating foods (sour foods) and 18.8% were restricted from playing with friends<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:134.3pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:&#10;115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Conclusion</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">:- Hygienic practice among school girls in rural area were unsatisfactory . Education about proper hygienic practices will change the misconceptions and restrictions imposed regarding menstruation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>