Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sabah Women and Children Hospital, 88996, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
BMC Womens Health. 2022 Aug 13;22(1):341. doi: 10.1186/s12905-022-01929-1.
This study aimed to determine menstrual characteristics and related morbidities among adolescent girls living in Sabah, North Borneo, a less-developed state in Malaysia.
Data were obtained from a quantitative survey conducted in three government high schools located in Ranau, Sabah. The participants were adolescent girls who had attained menarche between the ages of 14 and 19.
Based on the analysis of questionnaires completed by 757 adolescent girls, the mean age at the time of the survey was 17 ± 1.4 years, and the mean menarche age was 12.2 ± 1.1 years. Our data demonstrated that 85.7% of the participants experienced dysmenorrhoea, of which at least 42.1% (mean pain score ± SD: 4.81 ± 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.72, 4.90) experienced moderate dysmenorrhoea, and 11.2% (mean pain score ± SD: 7.86 ± 0.94, 95% CI 7.64, 8.08) experienced severe dysmenorrhoea. Over 70% of these girls complained of tiredness, headache, and appetite changes during menses.
The prevalence of menstrual disorders and related morbidities was high among the girls residing in Sabah. Reproductive health issues in rural and socioeconomically deprived areas remains poorly addressed. The main consequence of neglecting menstrual disorders and their related morbidities is impaired future sexual reproductive health in adults. Thus, addressing adolescent reproductive health issues is crucial, especially for girls living in areas where access to healthcare is difficult. The information gathered from this study can be used to strategize effective interventions to improve adolescents' reproductive health status in rural areas.
本研究旨在探讨北婆罗洲沙巴州（马来西亚欠发达州）少女的月经特征和相关疾病。
数据来自于在兰瑙三所政府高中进行的定量调查。参与者为 14 至 19 岁之间初潮的少女。
基于对 757 名少女完成的问卷分析，调查时的平均年龄为 17±1.4 岁，平均初潮年龄为 12.2±1.1 岁。我们的数据表明，85.7%的参与者经历痛经，其中至少 42.1%（平均疼痛评分±SD：4.81±0.76，95%置信区间（CI）4.72，4.90）经历中度痛经，11.2%（平均疼痛评分±SD：7.86±0.94，95%CI 7.64，8.08）经历重度痛经。超过 70%的女孩在经期会感到疲倦、头痛和食欲改变。
居住在沙巴的少女中月经障碍和相关疾病的患病率较高。农村和社会经济贫困地区的生殖健康问题仍未得到充分解决。忽视月经障碍及其相关疾病的主要后果是成年后生殖健康受损。因此，解决青少年生殖健康问题至关重要，尤其是对于那些在医疗保健难以获得的地区生活的女孩。本研究收集的信息可用于制定有效的干预措施，以改善农村地区青少年的生殖健康状况。
