Menstrual Hygiene Management and School Dropout among Female Adolescent Students of Habru Woreda, North Wollo, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 2013
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Date
2013-06
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Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background: Adolescence in girls has been recognized as a special period in their life cycle
which is marked with onset of menarche. Even though menstruation is a natural process, it is
linked with several misconceptions and practices. Absenteeism and drop out from school are
common problems among girls in less developed countries due to menstruation related problems.
Objective: This study aimed to assess menstrual hygiene management and its consequences on
school attendance among junior secondary school adolescent girls in Habru Woreda.
Method: A cross-sectional mixed method study combining both quantitative and qualitative
research methods was used among 595 randomly selected adolescent school girls of Habru
Woreda. A pretested and structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Epi Info version
3.5.3 and SPSS version 16.0 were used for data entry and analysis for the quantitative data and
an inductive content analysis using Open-Code software version 3.6 for the qualitative data.
Results: The mean age of students was 15.0 ± 1.3 years; most had their menarche at a mean age
of 14.0 ± 1.2 years. About half girls had knowledge of menstruation, 294 (65.6%) of them did
not use sanitary pad. Sanitary pad use was strongly associated with urban residence [AOR=2.3;
95% C.I: 1.2 - 4.5], mothers education of secondary and above [AOR=4.3; 95% C.I: 1.6 - 11.3].
Household monthly expenditure of 601-900, 901-1200 and greater than 1200 birr [AOR (95%
C.I): 3.2 (1.5 – 7.2), 3.4 (1.6 – 7.4), 5.0 (2.2 – 11.2)] respectively and living with relatives [AOR
(95% C.I) 0.16 (0.04 – 0.56). About 55% of girls had history of school absenteeism during their
menstrual period. School absenteeism was strongly associated with those who didn’t use sanitary
pad [AOR (95% C.I) 5.4 (3.0 - 9.6)] and learning in Melka Chefe Junior Secondary School
[AOR (95% C.I) 0.41 (0.18 - 0.90)]. About 58% of girls perceived that their academic
performance was affected after menarche compared to their ranks before they had menarche. In
addition, girls dropped out from school due to embarrassment following soiled cloth while at
school with blood as well as lack of sanitary materials and poor school sanitary facilities.
Conclusion and recommendation: Despite girls’ knowledge about menstruation and its
management; use of sanitary pad was low. School absenteeism and dropout because of problems
related to menstruation may affect the effort made towards the realization of empowering girls
and gender equity. There should be a concerted effort among schools, family and others
concerned in understanding and averting girls’ school absenteeism and drop out because of lack
of sanitary materials during menstruation.
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Keywords
Menstrual Hygiene Management ,Female ,Adolescent, Students