A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge and Practices Regarding Menstrual Hygiene amongAdolescent Girls in Selected Schools, Jalandhar (Punjab)

Abstract

Every human being passes through various stages of life from infancy to childhood, childhood to adult, and from adulthood to old age. Adolescence is a “period of transition from childhood to adulthood”. It is 10–17 years. This period of life is important for women, as various changes take place in our body in puberty period. Puberty is the maturation of reproductive organs and changes occur in physical and psychological status. A descriptive study to assess the knowledge and practices related to menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in selected school of Jalandhar. The objectives of the study are to assess the knowledge regarding menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls; to assess the practices related to menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls; to find out correlation between knowledge and practices related to menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls; andto find out the association of knowledge and practices to be performed related to menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls. The conceptual framework of the study was based on Orem theory as postulated by Dorthea Orem. The total sample size was 60 adolescent girls in selected schools of Jalandhar. Purposive sampling techniques were used. A structured knowledge questionnaire tool comprising a total of 20 items to assess knowledge and 10 items to assess practices level of adolescent girls regarding menstrual hygiene. The findings show that, out of 60 adolescent girls, 90% (54) have moderate knowledge, 8.33% (5) have adequate knowledge, and only 1.7% (1) inadequate knowledge. The 100% (60) adolescent girls have good practice related to menstrual hygiene and no one has poor practice; hence the result concluded that all the girls have good practice regarding menstrual hygiene related to socio-demographic variables, i.e. age, education, mother’s education, residence, religion, family income, type of family and source of information.