Department of Population & Development, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400088, India.
Department of Geography, Serampore Girls' College, 13, T.C. Goswami Street, Serampore, Hooghly, West Bengal, 712201, India.
Sci Rep. 2024 Aug 29;14(1):20114. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-70383-w.
Ensuring proper menstrual hygiene management remains a significant challenge for young women in India. The term "exclusive use of hygienic period products during menstruation" refers to relying solely on period products like sanitary pads, tampons, or menstrual cups. Poor menstrual hygiene practices not only increase the risk of reproductive tract infections but also lead to various negative health outcomes, including discomfort and potential complications. This study explores factors associated with the exclusive use of period products during menstruation aged 15-24, investigates geographic disparities, examines rural-urban gaps, and assesses inequality in India. Utilizing data from the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), responses from 2,41,180 women aged 15 to 24 were analysed using logistic regression and multivariate decomposition analyses to explore socioeconomic predictors. Moran's I statistics also assessed spatial dependency, while Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients measured inequality. Quintile and LISA maps visualized regional disparities. The study found that 76.15% of women in India reported exclusive use of hygienic period products during menstruation. Rural areas reported a lower percentage of exclusive use of hygienic period products (72.32%) during menstruation compared to urban areas (89.37%). Key factors associated with the exclusive use of hygienic period products among 15-24-year-old women in India include age, education, place of residence, wealth, access to media, and healthcare discussions. Geographically, central districts exhibited the lowest coverage (< 65%), while the Southern region reported the highest (> 85). The GINI coefficient of 0.39 highlighted moderate inequality in distribution. Decomposition analysis revealed that household wealth contributed 49.25% to rural-urban differences, followed by education (13.41%), media access (7.97%), and region (4.97%). This study highlights significant regional disparities and low utilization of hygienic period products among young women in India, particularly in central districts. Policymakers should prioritize interventions targeting these regions, addressing socio-economic disparities. Strategies to promote education, improve media access, and enhance household wealth can facilitate menstrual hygiene adoption. Initiatives to reduce sanitary napkin costs and increase accessibility, particularly in rural areas, are crucial to mitigating geographical disparities nationwide.
确保年轻女性正确管理经期卫生仍然是印度面临的重大挑战。“经期仅使用卫生经期产品”是指仅依赖卫生棉条、卫生巾或月经杯等经期产品。不良的经期卫生习惯不仅增加了生殖道感染的风险，还会导致各种负面健康后果，包括不适和潜在的并发症。本研究探讨了 15-24 岁女性经期仅使用经期产品的相关因素，调查了地理差异，研究了城乡差距，并评估了印度的不平等现象。本研究利用第五次全国家庭健康调查（NFHS-5）的数据，对 241180 名 15-24 岁女性的回答进行了分析，使用逻辑回归和多变量分解分析探讨了社会经济预测因素。莫兰 I 统计量评估了空间相关性，而洛伦兹曲线和基尼系数衡量了不平等程度。五分位和 LISA 图可视化了区域差异。研究发现，印度 76.15%的女性报告在经期仅使用卫生经期产品。与城市地区（89.37%）相比，农村地区在经期仅使用卫生经期产品的比例较低（72.32%）。与印度 15-24 岁女性经期仅使用卫生经期产品相关的主要因素包括年龄、教育、居住地、财富、媒体获取和医疗保健讨论。在地理上，中部地区的覆盖率最低（<65%），而南部地区的覆盖率最高（>85%）。基尼系数为 0.39，表明分布存在中等不平等。分解分析显示，家庭财富对城乡差异的贡献最大（49.25%），其次是教育（13.41%）、媒体获取（7.97%）和地区（4.97%）。本研究强调了印度年轻女性中存在显著的区域差异和卫生经期产品利用率低的问题，尤其是在中部地区。决策者应优先针对这些地区实施干预措施，解决社会经济差异问题。促进教育、改善媒体获取和增加家庭财富的策略可以促进经期卫生的采用。降低卫生巾成本和提高可及性的举措，特别是在农村地区，对于缓解全国范围内的地理差异至关重要。
