Knowledge, Practice and Associated Factors with Menstrual Hygiene Management among Mekdela Secondary School Girls , Amhara Region, Northeast Ethiopia,2020.
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Menstrual hygiene management is a neglected and silent issue especially among communities in which talking about menstrual hygiene, is taboo in their culture. Women in rural settings particularly in schools suffer from stigma and lack of services and facilities to help them cope with the physical and psychological pains they undergo during their menstrual periods.
Objective: To assess knowledge, practice, and associated factors with menstrual hygiene management among Mekdela secondary school girls, Amhara region, Northeast Ethiopia, 2020.
Method: School-based cross-sectional study was conducted among Mekdela secondary school girls. A total of 441 study participants were recruited. A stratified and simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data was collected using a pretested structured selfadministered questionnaire. Data were cleaned, coded, and entered into Epi-data version
4.6 Software, and then exported to Statistical package for social sciences version 25 for statistical analysis. Variables with a p-value<0.25 in the bivariate analysis were a candidate for multivariable logistic regression and those with a p-value<0.05 in the multivariable analysis were considered as having statistically significant association with the practice of menstrual
hygiene.
Results: Out of 441 respondents, 286(64.9%) girls had good knowledge of menstrual hygiene management. After multivariate analysis, good knowledge of menstrual hygiene management was more among those girls whose their grade level (educational status of respondents) were grade 11 & 12 [AOR=2.23, 95% C.I (1.19-4.16), Pv, 0.012], and girls whose age of respondents were greater than or equal to 19 years [AOR=3.45, 95% C.I (1.78-6.69), Pv, 0.000]. On the other hand, 275(62.4%) have good menstrual hygiene practices. And also, knowledge of the respondents [AOR=1.73, 95% C.I (1.07-2.80)], Pv, 0.025), and parents having a private shower (access to WASH facilities) [AOR=2.04, 95% C.I 2.04(1.24-3.37)], Pv, 0.005) showed a
significant association with their menstrual hygiene practice.
Conclusion: More than half of respondents had good knowledge and good practice of menstrual hygiene management. Majority of them were from the urban area of residence.
Recommendation: Although knowledge was better than practice, girls should be educated about the process, use of proper pads or absorbents, and its proper disposal.
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Keywords
Menstrual hygiene, sanitary napkin, menstruation, schoolgirl.