Assessment of Knowledge and Expressed Practice Regarding Menstrual Hygiene Among the Adolescent Girls of Govt. Girls Senior Secondary School, Lakkar Bazar, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Background: Menstruation is a unique physiological phenomenon in females. The onset of menstruation is considered as one of the most remarkable changes in adolescent girls. It involves bleeding for 3-5 days from the uterus once a month which occurs throughout the lifetime till menopause. In India about 24% of total population belongs to adolescent period.
Objectives: The main objectives of the study were: 1. To assess the existing knowledge & expressed practices regarding menstrual hygiene. 2. To determine the co-relation between knowledge and practice score. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on adolescent girls in a selected government school of Himachal Pradesh. The research approach adopted for the study was descriptive approach. Purposive sampling technique was used and the sample consisted of 100 adolescent girls. The researcher collected the data by establishing a rapport with the subject and maintaining confidentiality of their response. The collected data was analysed by using descriptive and inferential statistics in terms of mean, percentage. Result: out of total, 86% of samples were prior knowledge about menstrual hygiene and 14 % of samples were having no prior information regarding menstrual hygiene. 29% adolescent girls had inadequate knowledge about menstrual hygiene, 71% samples had knowledge about menstrual hygiene. It is indicated that there is a need to give education regarding menstrual hygiene to adolescent girls. Conclusion: These findings indicated that there was dire need for continue education and more regular basis regarding menstrual hygiene to increase adequate knowledge and develop more favourable practices towards menstrual hygiene.


Keywords: adolescent, assessment, practice, menstrual hygiene